‘F1’ is a Brad Pitt vehicle that takes too many familiar turns

Brad Pitt is at his best in movies with a strong emphasis on the unknown. At 61 years old, the impossibly handsome leading man still carries himself with old-school Hollywood charm and a rare edge that makes him both fun and fascinating to watch on screen.

In recent films like Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and Bullet Train, part of the joy was seeing Pitt’s uber-cool characters attempt to overcome obstacles while the audience was uncertain of the outcome.

In F1, however, we’ve traveled down this road before. There is very little that’s new or surprising, and this predictability doesn’t play to Pitt’s winning qualities. What we get is a typical sports drama with a reported $300 million budget.

Still, F1 looks great and sounds great. For many, that will be enough because it’s solid summertime fare.

The cast features Oscar winners Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem, as well as Oscar nominee Kerry Condon. It’s directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and features a score by Hans Zimmer. Hardcore gearheads will delight in seeing cameos from real-life racing stars like Lewis Hamilton.

Kosinski, who also co-wrote the screenplay, borrows the framework from Top Gun: Maverick. Instead of Tom Cruise, Pitt is the grizzled veteran thrust back into the spotlight to guide a young team, led by rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), to do a seemingly impossible task. We’ve seen this underdog story in countless sports movies. There is conflict, begrudging acceptance, and then mutual respect. Don’t call this a spoiler alert. You knew this about F1 the moment you bought a ticket. This is a plot reheated in a microwave.

The push and pull between Sonny Hayes (Pitt) and Pearce is the focus, but the relationship between the two feels more contrived than a battle of alpha males. The more interesting duo is Hayes and Kate McKenna, the racing team’s technical director. You can see a genuine spark, primarily due to the consistently excellent Kerry Condon, who brings an earnestness to her roles that pops and elevates any film. 

While the story has its shortcomings, the cinematography is all gas, no breaks. Moviegoers will be treated to flashy visuals best appreciated in IMAX. The action scenes feel big, beautiful, and immersive. There is just enough exposition to help non-racing fans understand the nuances. A tip of the cap to everyone who helped bring these moments to life, including Lewis Hamilton, who has a producing credit.

The commitment to the look of F1 makes you wonder why there wasn’t the same due diligence on the screenplay. There was a real opportunity to take this story in a different direction without the formulaic ending. Pitt’s performance is satisfactory. We get what we expect, including his obligatory ‘let me take my shirt off so you can see how good I look at this age’ scene.

But it’s just not as interesting to see Pitt drive in a film when you already know the course.