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F1; The Movie (2025)


While there is a fan theory that Maverick is dead in the second Top Gun film, somehow folks do not cotton on to the idea that Sonny Hayes is a supernatural figure in the great F1 film. For all the discussion of how it hits all the underdog tropes of the great sports movies, we are missing the way it imitates Here Comes Mr. Jordan, The Bishop’s Wife, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Miracle on 34th Street.

Sonny comes walking out of the distance at Silverstone to intervene in and improve the lives of the Apex team and nearly every one of its members. He is a literal savior. And once his work is done, he disappears again. (Having earned his wings?)

It’s entirely fitting that F1 has come to TV just in time for the holidays, because if you watch it alongside any of those seasonal classics, you won’t fail to see the parallels.

(Reviewed:13-Dec-25)

Grade: (A+)

Websites:

See also:


    -WIKIPEDIA: F1 (film)
    -FILM SITE: F1: The Movie
    -FILMOGRAPHY: F1: The Movie (IMDB)
    -FILMOGRAPHY: F1: the Movie (Rotten Tomatoes)
    -FILMOGRAPHY: F1: The Movie (Metacritic)
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-WIKIPEDIA: Joseph Kosinski
    -FILMOGRAPHY: Joseph Kosinski (IMDB)
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-WIKIPEDIA: Brad Pitt
    -FILMOGRAPHY: Brad Pitt (IMDB)
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-The Race (The Race)
    -Formula1.com
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-PODCAST: ‘F1’ Is a Fast, Fierce Blockbuster Throwback, With Joseph Kosinski! Plus, the Future of James Bond. (Sean Fennessey, 6/27/25, The Big Picture)
    -PODCAST: ‘F1: The Movie’ Reactions (The Ringer F1 Podcast, 6/27/25)
    -PODCAST: What's good - and bad - about F1: The Movie + Jerry Bruckheimer interviewed (The Race, 6/23/25)
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-PODCAST: The Race F1 Podcast: If something happens in Formula 1 racing, The Race F1 Podcast has got you covered. Featuring renowned F1 journalists Edd Straw, Jon Noble, Mark Hughes, Scott Mitchell-Malm, Ben Anderson and more, we’ll bring you unbeatable insight from the ground at every F1 race, including the inside line on the latest breaking Formula 1 news and gossip, informed debate about the biggest topics, and in-depth analysis after each grand prix. The feed also features other F1 shows from The Race's stable, including Bring Back V10s, And Colossally That's History!, and The Race F1 Tech Show. (The Athletic)
    -PODCAST: F1: Chequered Flag: F1 Back at Base - A deep dive into the high-octane world of Formula 1 with exclusive behind-the-scenes access. F1 Chequered Flag: Home of Formula 1. (BBC Radio 5 Live)
    -PODCAST: The Late Braking F1 Podcast: The Late Braking F1 Podcast covers all the latest news, race incidents, controversies and ridiculous moments in Formula 1. There will be plenty of debates...and plenty of silliness too.
    -PODCAST: The Ringer F1 Show: Your pit stop for everything Formula 1. Find Megan Schuster and expert guests from around the world every Wednesday and Sunday covering the 22 Grand Prix events and news. (The Ringer)
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-ESSAY: ‘F1: The Movie’ Puts You in the Driver’s Seat. Here’s How.: Reporting live from the Canadian Grand Prix—which also happened to be a movie set (Jake Kring-Schreifels June 27, 2025, The Ringer))
    -ESSAY: F1: The Movie Speeds Through Real Races Around the World: Plus, the cozy pub, swanky restaurant, and real-life F1 team headquarters that made it in. (Arati Menon, July 2, 2025, Conde Nast Traveler)
    -ESSAY: F1 Drivers Let Us Know Just How Realistic F1: The Movie Really Is: The new racing movie from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski is a thrill ride. We got drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto to explain how it compares to the real thing. (William Goodman, Jun 30, 2025, Men’s Health)
    -ESSAY: What ‘F1: The Movie’ Gets Right — And What It Misses (Karl Moore, Jul 03, 2025, Forbes)
    -ESSAY: How This Hollywood Producer Turned Brad Pitt Into A $40 Million ‘F1’ Ad (Matt Craig, Jun 27, 2025, Forbes)
    -ESSAY: From Le Mans to Driven—where does F1: The Movie rank?: How well does the world of F1 translate into the tropes of a sporting movie? (Jonathan M. Gitlin – Jul 2, 2025,, ars technica)
    -ESSAY: 'Inspiring Hollywood, directing Pitt & a Hamilton cold call' (Andy Gray, 7/01/25, BBC)
    -ESSAY: 'F1 The Movie' star Brad Pitt reveals the former F1 driver who inspired Sonny Hayes’ backstory (Formula1.com, July 13, 2025)
    -ESSAY: The unlikely kingmaker in F1's Brad Pitt movie (Jon Noble, 7/13/25, The Race)
    -ESSAY: TREMAYNE: The brutal crash that inspired Sonny Hayes' character in 'F1 The Movie': F1 Hall of Fame journalist David Tremayne looks at the heart-stopping crash that inspired the backstory of Brad Pitt's Sonny Hayes in F1 The Movie. (David Tremayne, 7/27/25, Formula1.com)
    -ESSAY: Brad Pitt’s F1: The Movie: How Hollywood Destroys the Truth About Leadership: Brad Pitt’s F1: The Movie glamorizes the sport’s charisma and drama, highlighting a heroic figure. However, real Formula One (F1) success relies on data, teamwork, engineering and strategic patience. The film overlooks the importance of institutional depth and decentralized expertise that are essential to winning in modern F1. (Baptiste Monnet, 8/15/25, Fair Observer)
    -INTERVIEW: Brown: ‘Letting fans see behind the curtains’ made F1 a US hit (Phillip van Osten, 24/08/2025, F1)
    -ESSAY: F1 – The Movie | Transcript (Scraps from the Loft, August 28, 2025)
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-REVIEW: ‘F1’ Is a Movie You Have and Have Never Seen Before: On the one hand, Joseph Kosinski’s follow-up to ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ gives the unprecedented feeling of being in the cockpit of a Formula One race car. On the other, the movie itself feels all too familiar. (Adam NaymanJune 26, 2025, The Ringer)
    -REVIEW: ‘F1: The Movie’ Is Great If Your Favorite Part Of Racing Is All The Corporate Logos (Kathryn Xu, July 3, 2025, Defector)
    -REVIEW: F1 the Movie: Brad Pitt’s racing drama aims for maximum adrenal thrills, minimal storytelling: Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a veteran racer and former gambling addict who is lured back to the track for one last Grand Prix season in this high-octane, logo-strewn blockbuster-advert for Formula 1. (Nick James, 10 July 2025, BFI)
    -REVIEW: Brad Pitt’s Hazardous Marketing Scheme (Armond White, July 2, 2025, National Review)
    -REVIEW: Around the Road to Nowhere: F1 and 28 Years Later offer two futures for moviemaking, neither entirely satisfying. (Nicky Otis Smith, , 7/01/25, Splice Today)
    -REVIEW: Stream It Or Skip It: ‘F1’ on Apple TV, a Wildly Entertaining Auto-Racing Extravaganza Buoyed by Brad Pitt (and His Shirtless Torso) (John Serba, Dec. 12, 2025, Decider)
    -REVIEW: A Thrilling Epic About One of the World’s Fastest Sports: F1 threads the nitty-gritty details of racing into a traditional underdog drama. (David Sims, The Atlantic)
    -REVIEW: Brad Pitt Finds Fresh Thrills on a Well-Worn Road in F1: Review: The director of Top Gun: Maverick brings his need for speed to the world of Formula 1 (Liz Shannon Miller, Jun 17, 2025, Consequence)
    -REVIEW: F1 The Movie Review: This Adrenaline-Fueled<./a>: Sports Drama Will Change Your Mind About F1 Racing If You Weren't Already A Fan (Mae Abdulbaki, 6/17/25, Screen Rant)
   
-REVIEW: of F1 the Movie review – spectacular macho melodrama handles Brad Pitt with panache: The cherubic sixtysomething stars as a supercool old-school driver returning 30 years after a near-fatal crash to break all the rules of Formula One racing (Peter Bradshaw, 17 Jun 2025, The Guardian)
    -REVIEW: of F1 review – speed is king, subtlety is yellow-flagged (Adam Woodward, 6/17/25, Little White Lies)
    -REVIEW: “F1” is a Well-Tooled Engine of Entertainment: The destination of this comeback narrative starring Brad Pitt may be predictable, but Joseph Kosinski’s direction insures thrillingly tight turns en route. (Justin Chang, June 20, 2025, The New Yorker)
    -REVIEW: of F1 (United States, 2025) (James Berardinelli, 6/26/25, Reel Views)
    -REVIEW: Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Movie Is His Own ‘Top Gun: Maverick’: The car-racing blockbuster is a thrilling career jolt for Pitt, whose movie-star charisma is at its peak. (Nick Schager, Jun. 17 2025, Daily Beast)
    -REVIEW: ‘F1: The Movie’ Review: Brad Pitt Goes Zoom: In tanned, tousled form, the actor stars in a Formula 1 story about fast cars, last chances and pretty people by the director of “Top Gun: Maverick.” (Manohla Dargis, June 26, 2025, NY Times)
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