Originally published to FOX5 Vegas on June 18, 2025.

When word came of a Formula One racing movie starring Brad Pitt and directed by “Top Gun: Maverick” helmer Joseph Kosinski, the obvious question was just how familiar a viewer needs to be with Formula One culture to enjoy the film. This writer, for one, has minimal exposure to the sport, with coverage of the Las Vegas Grand Prix over the last two years accounting for most of my knowledge of that particular brand of racing.

Luckily, for both “F1 The Movie” and filmgoers, the film does most of the heavy lifting. The movie is not a lesson in the rules and mechanics of Formula One racing. The “inside baseball” here is delivered smoothly and without feeling like a lesson.

The characters, led by Brad Pitt and Damson Idris as competing teammates for Javier Bardem’s sputtering Formula One racing team, feel like they existed long before cameras started rolling. Pitt and Bardem have fantastic chemistry as Sonny Hayes and Ruben Cervantes, two old rivals-turned-friends, who face the task of bringing Cervantes’ APXGP back from the brink. Hayes encounters Noah Pierce (Idris), an upstart racer who is protective of his spot in the sport and not interested in losing it to an old, resurfaced veteran.

Flanked by a likable team of supporting characters played by Kerry Condon, Sarah Niles, and Kim Bodnia, indeed, they could be called derivative of others in the genre, and comparisons could be easily made to others from recent sports movies. Indeed, “F1 The Movie” channels bits and pieces from “Creed,” “Miracle,” or Pitt’s own “Moneyball.” But if it ain’t broke …

The film is brought together by a well-written, if not overly complicated, script from Ehren Kruger. The dialogue sparkles and the characters feel genuine. While some moments in “F1 The Movie” may be predictable, they don’t detract from the payoffs. Fantastic needle drops are peppered here and there around an electrifying score provided by one of the cinematic GOATs, Hans Zimmer. When combined with sweeping, awe-inspiring shots of beautiful landscapes and tactile, edge-of-your-seat racing moments from Claudio Miranda, the film comes together like a delicious stew, where each piece complements the other.

At two hours and thirty-six minutes, it is not a short movie, but most of its runtime is earned. “F1 The Movie” is not without its quirks. The film’s second act begins to meander, slowing the pace and stretching the runtime more than necessary.

“F1 The Movie” is a high-octane thrill ride featuring well-drawn characters, snappy dialogue, grand orchestrations from the legendary Hans Zimmer, and beautiful cinematography by Claudio Miranda. It’s the best movie of the summer so far and begs to be seen on the largest screen possible with the best available sound system.