Cinema, at its core, works in binaries. Black or white. 0 or 1. No greys, no 0.5. Most films are obsessed — singularly, specifically and relentlessly — about the destination. For some, though, it’s not about the destination.
What’s it about, then?
Curiously, F1 — Joseph Kosinski’s high-octane spectacle that released worldwide on 27 June — ends with that specific question. What’s it about, then?
In journeys where the destination is discernible from miles away, what keeps one hooked is the ride. F1 could not really deliver any surprises pertaining to where it began, where it concluded, or what unfolded along the way. What the Brad Pitt-starrer did deliver, however, was an enthralling ride.
Let It Be Established — F1 Is Formulaic
Tropes are inescapable in formulaic art — whatever the medium, whatever the age. Lovers ensnared by society’s shackles or moral dilemmas? You might be referring to anything between William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Colleen Hoover’s It Ends With Us (is it literature blasphemy to name the two in the same sentence?)
In tragedy, the gradual erosion of a protagonist can be seen in both Macbeth and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. An ordinary boy leaving his surroundings for an extraordinary expedition is inexorable in the adventure genre — be it Homer’s Odyssey or JK Rowling’s Harry Potter.
What’s the point of spending two paragraphs on establishing what is already evident? Especially when — though you’re reading this on a digital screen, and not on a paper — words aren’t cheap?
Because it must first be made abundantly clear: F1 is as formulaic as formulaic films get.
Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes — a racing prodigy from the nineties destined for greatness, except destiny never quite complied. A catastrophic accident at the Spanish Grand Prix hurled him from the fast lane into the abyss of obscurity.
That is, until his former rival Ruben Cervantes — portrayed by Javier Bardem — approaches him to save his failing Formula 1 team. Failing mercurially, that is, as the team — APX GP (one wonders whether Elon Musk was behind the nomenclature?) — has not accumulated a single point in two and a half years of existence.
The challenge? They not only need to earn points, but win at least one race in the remainder of the season for Bardem to remain team principal.
The outcome? This is a no-spoilers zone, but if you know formulaic films, you know it already.
The washed-up genius staging a late-career resurrection is one of cinema’s most over-recycled tales. Rocky Balboa did it. Creed did it anew. If you want to keep it strictly to motorsports, don’t look far, as Bollywood has to offer Ta Ra Rum Pum (2007) (now, Rocky Balboa and Ta Ra Rum Pum being invoked in the same article — is this cinematic blasphemy?)
F1’s plot is so comfortably predictable that one begins to wonder if it was truly penned by Kosinski and Ehren Kruger, as the credits claim — or perhaps quietly ghostwritten by ChatGPT.
That said, the film accomplishes exactly what it set out to do.
How Did F1 Achieve What It Wanted To?
And with that, we come to the second part.
What did the film set out to achieve?
If you’re a devoted disciple of the sport — the kind who pores over telemetry data and can recite pit stop times by heart — F1 may not be for you. The film was not designed to cater solely to the purists. Neither is it technically accurate (APXGP literally uses modified F2 cars amid 20 F1 cars!), nor does it adhere to the laws of physics. Some of the crashes are so spectacularly over-the-top that even Salman Khan might want to have a chat with the audience, after years of being ridiculed for firing a four-barrelled rocket launcher while standing upright in Race 3.
F1 set out to reach a wider audience, where even those who despise wheels and speedometers and the smell of fuel will find themselves gripping their armrests.
To pull this off, the story first needs a conflict. At APXGP, Hayes finds himself a teammate in Joshua Pearce — played by Damson Idris — who is conceited, arrogant, and has very little respect for the elderly.
How the combative chemistry slowly evolves into a friendship is a successful story arc in itself.
But rivalry and redemption alone cannot keep the uninterested engaged. How, then, do you win over the lovers whispering in the back row?
Simple — sell a romantic subplot between the protagonist and the sole female technical director on the grid — Kate McKenna, played by Kerry Cordon. (Hello, Hannah Schmitz!)
Layered atop this is the requisite dose of internal corporate politics.
The amalgamation of all these elements ensure a runtime of 156 minutes — significantly long, considering the current attention span of humans — feels like a breeze.
In many ways, the film deconstructs the niche just as the sport itself did over the past decade. Freed from the iron-fisted gatekeeping of Bernie Ecclestone, Formula 1 found new life under Liberty Media — who do have their critics, and rightfully so. Then came Netflix’s Drive To Survive, and suddenly, the sport was not an exclusive club anymore. It became a global obsession.
The core belief remains the same — F1, be it the sport or the movie, is not as much about the machines as it is about the humans and their own stories, love interests, enmities, conflicts and triumphs.
What Works From a Cinematic Vantage
With the human layers deftly explored, let’s now examine what F1 accomplishes in a purely cinematic sense.
The most striking element is the cinematography. Led by Claudio Miranda, who worked an Academy Award for Life of Pi and was also responsible for Top Gun: Maverick’s stunning scenes, the cinematography is as immersive as it is captivating. With four onboard cameras on the car, audience is treated to a visual experience. The screen thrums with raw speed.
The music leaves an imprint. Scattered across the film are a few well-chosen classics, but the unexpected standout is Ed Sheeran, who momentarily trades his pop crown for a rock cap. It will be difficult to believe that the same voice was behind Drive and Sapphire. The highlight, undeniably and unsurprisingly, is Hans Zimmer’s score, which walks a tightrope between thrilling and chilling.
Stephen Mirrione’s tight and pulsating editing ensures you never feel the urge to check your WhatsApp notifications.
Damson Idris, Kerry Cordon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies and Kim Bodnia are all convincing in their respective roles. The heart and soul, though, could only be one — Brad Pitt, a man who seemingly is untouched by the wreckage of time
Not much has been said about this, but the film also deserves applause for promoting inclusivity. Hayes’ teammate is black, as is the chief mechanic Dodge, played by Abdul Salis. The technical director is a woman, as is the tire gunner Jodie, played by Callie Cooke.
Of coutse, with Lewis Hamilton being one of the producers, inclusivity was always going to be built into the fabric of the film.
Verdict
What the film does not achieve is having any emotional depth to the plot. It is wafer-thin, and hence, unremarkable from a literary vantage. The corporate gloss also goes overboard at times, aided by relentless branding and product placements. That is not a surprise either, given the film was licensed by the sport itself.
Beyond those flaws, however, F1, Kasinsky, and Pitt have been successful is delivering a spectacle that will enthrall and entertain. And perhaps, more importantly, beckon those who cannot tell downforce from a dinner fork, to fall in love with racing and racers.
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