F1 The Movie-2025

Director Joseph Kosinski

Starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon

Scott’s Review #1,536

Reviewed June 12, 2026

Grade: C

Mysteriously nominated for Best Picture and three technical awards despite being a ‘formulaic’ Hollywood big-budget production, the recognition is the sole reason I decided to see F1 The Movie (2025).

Having heard the film was terrible, I hesitantly settled in to watch a with eleven hours to spare on a flight across the world.

Not a fan of auto racing, nor giving a hoot about FORMULA 1, the film is very similar to recent efforts like Ford v Ferrari (2019) and Rush (2013), both of which are forgettable.

Do we really need at least three major auto racing films in modern times? Apparently, a market still exists for this type of film.

While not downright horrible, and Brad Pitt holds appeal as a laid-back, aging race car driver, the film is too similar to other genre productions to garner much interest or to be remembered for long.

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is “the greatest that never was,” a derogatory term for a promising 1990s star whose career nearly ended in a track accident.

He never reached his full potential.

Thirty years later, he makes a living as a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), the owner of a struggling FORMULA 1 team on the verge of collapse.

Ruben convinces Sonny to return to FORMULA 1 for one last shot at saving the team and becoming the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie, intent on making a name for himself.

This has a Rocky (1976) sports setup in which we root for the underdog to win the day.

As likable as Pitt is as the ‘star,’ even he can’t save this film from a myriad of cliches and easy setups.

There is little doubt that Sonny will finally become the  ‘greatest of all time’ (GOAT) before the credits roll, but not before facing animosity, accidents, setbacks, and all the other situations that always occur in a sports film before the hero enjoys the spoils.

Naturally, Sonny and cocky Joshua will become rivals and eventually friends. Laughably, after a fiery accident that nearly kills Joshua, his mother, Bernadette (Sarah Niles), blames Sonny for changing the strategy and causing her son harm.

The beautiful Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), technical director for the team, predictably serves as a love interest of Sonny, despite in one scene insisting she never mixes work with romance, cut to Kate and Sonny passionately falling into bed for sex.

Finally, there are standard subplots of a rival of Ruben’s attempting to steal Sonny away for profit, and Kate scolding Sonny for being a lone wolf and encouraging him to be a team player.

The cliches and predictability are off the charts, which is exactly what I expected from F1 The Movie.

So, I don’t get the Best Picture nomination at all. My hunch is that, with the required 10 Best Picture nominees, F1 The Movie squeaked in because of its technical achievements, earning a solid 10th out of 10.

It didn’t make it in for a great screenplay.

On the other hand, the editing is solid, and the numerous racing scenes are shot with high-quality sound and quick cuts, which pair well.

Director Joseph Kosinski impresses with a single scene that offers a sliver of emotion. During a fiery crash scene, the sound is completely muted as Sonny runs over to the fireball encircling the racecar.

And with a black and Hispanic character in major roles and female characters in a ‘man’s world’ film, there is some diversity to celebrate.

As for the overall assessment for F1 The Movie (2025), I watched it in its entirety for two hours and thirty minutes during my long flight, and it passed the time.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Sound (won), Best Visual Effects