F1 first reactions: Brad Pitt's film hailed as high-octane crowd-pleaser; comparisons drawn to Top Gun Maverick

Indian Express

a day ago

Brad Pitt's F1 got a mixed response at Comic-Con after dropping a high-octane 10-minute clip. But its first official press screening seems to have flipped the narrative; critics are calling it a full-throttle summer blockbuster with brilliant visuals and addictive energy. Except for a few concerns about whether the film can pull in non-racing fans, it is racking up rave reviews.
Critics are praising Joseph Kosinski's film for its technical brilliance. Variety's Clayton Davis gave a shoutout to cinematographer Claudio Miranda and urged the Oscars to 'not do dirty with him again.' Miranda had also worked with Kosinski on Top Gun: Maverick and even earned a BAFTA nomination for it. Some critics are drawing comparisons between the visuals of F1 and Maverick.
'It's Pearce, down the insideeeee' — WOW! @F1Movie is an action-packed, thrilling look at the world of F1 racing, with lots of grit. The sound, score, and cinematography are flawless. Damson Idris and Brad Pitt are great! Absolutely Obsessedddddd,' wrote Jazz Tangcay.
Tim Chan wrote, 'Just got out of #F1TheMovie screening: film was more emotional than I had anticipated, Brad Pitt is hotter than ever, soundtrack (with Tate! Roddy! Rosé!) is perfect accompaniment to the race scenes.' Maude Garrett, a journalist with Nerdist and Breakroom, called the movie 'so freaking good' and even wondered if she might've enjoyed it even more had she actually been an F1 fan.
Also read: F1 trailer: Brad Pitt plays 'oldtimer' who needs to deal with both his past and a rookie to save his friend's struggling APXGP team
In the film, Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a once-celebrated Formula 1 driver who stepped away from racing after a tragic accident. Years later, he's approached to mentor a young racer, played by Damson Idris, who's gearing up for the fictional Apex Grand Prix. The cast also includes Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon. Earlier, in his GQ interview, Pitt opened up about the pressure Formula 1 drivers face, comparing it to the kind of scrutiny movie stars deal with. 'Those guys are so scrutinised, and that sport is so revered, and there are so many of us that think we could do it too, just because we drive a car fast down the freeway or something. They get so much s**t. It is shocking to me. They've got to have thicker skin than even us.'
The film is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and F1 legend Lewis Hamilton, who joined the project as a producer and has been promoting the film alongside Pitt. During a press conference earlier this year, Bruckheimer opened up about how the idea crossed his mind. Kosinski said he became a fan of the sport after watching Netflix's Drive to Survive during the pandemic. 'I loved how the first season of the show focused on the last-place teams, the underdogs, rather than Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, the teams you usually see at the front of the pack,' he said. 'I thought there was an interesting story to be told about an underdog team,' he added.
To shoot F1, the team actually followed the real F1 circuit for a year and even received permission to film during actual race weekends, within a tiny window of just 10–15 minutes. They set up over 20 cameras and had to capture everything in a rush before the track opened again. Kosinski added that the crowd is also real, and that they used advanced IMAX cameras, some of which were previously used in Tom Cruise's films.
Also read: Brad Pitt's F1 unleashes 10 minutes of adrenaline-fueled Daytona racing footage at CinemaCon
F1 will be released in theatres globally on June 25, 2025.