Becoming a Professional Racer

A review of F1

When planes, trains, and automobiles reach a very fast speed, people seem to be really drawn to it. Perhaps it's the thrill of the idea that they could be behind the wheel. Unfortunately, as these vehicles fly by the screen, people tend to not notice that the only good thing about what’s flying by is the fact that it’s going fast. In movies like F1, the filmmakers hoped that the flashiness and speed would distract us from the hollowness of the story.

Credit: Warner Bros. (2025)

I Don’t Look When I Merge Now

I am going to make an unfortunately large number of comparisons/references in this review to the movie Top Gun Maverick, so just be warned. Given that, if you liked Top Gun Maverick, then you will probably like this movie. They have the same director, a similar plot, and a big action star to lead the way. If you did not like Top Gun Maverick, you will like F1 even less. The decent character building and story of Top Gun Maverick were thrown out the door and replaced by nothing. The characters in F1 are given nothing. Some inconsistently switch between being mature and adolescent in adjacent scenes while others are given no personality other than a scar on their back. For a blockbuster this big, and with actors and a director who are this famous, you would think they could pull something decent together. I fear though, that no one will care about these lacking qualities because the movie distracts you from it. Its editing is fast and its writing is efficient. You don’t have time to process a lot of what is happening, which on one hand helps the lack of story, but at other times leads to some confusion during the races. F1 uses elements from classic Hollywood films but executes them very poorly. There is (of course) an unnecessary romance between Brad Pitt and Kerry Condon, who I am disappointed in because I know they can do better acting. It also has a very feel-good plot that lowkey copies parts of the animated movie Cars. Perhaps most disappointingly of all, is that for a movie all about risk and intense pressure, it risks absolutely nothing creatively. This movie was made for people who don’t want to think and are ok being bought by the advertisements plastered onto every scene.

Credit: Warner Bros. (2025)

The Only Pedal I Use is the One on the Right

I do want to have some good things to say about F1, so here we go (wish me luck). Despite my annoyance with the basicness of this movie, I did have some fun watching it. Hans Zimmer’s score and the soundtrack are both high points. Zimmer’s score helped build tensions while the soundtrack elevated the feeling of modern money and eliteness. The acting was ok, the cinematography was nothing to fawn over, and the editing (while at times good) made it hard sometimes to tell what was really happening during the races. I think this is a perfect example of a director getting praise for their most recent work (Top Gun Maverick), being given free range, and then screwing it up.

Credit: Warner Bros. (2025)

Traffic Signals are Recommendations

No, I don’t think this is a must see. I mean sure, if you want a mindless movie to dissociate to, then 100% go with this. I do appreciate that this is mostly an original story, but other than that I think the only thing going for F1 is it increased my desire to drive fast on the interstate.

Rating: 52/100

Classification: Movie