Brad Pitt’s F1 has been one of the vital extremely anticipated theatrical releases of the yr, and now the wait is nearly over. Critics had the chance to display the Method One-inspired sports activities drama forward of its June 27 launch on the 2025 film calendar, and whereas F1’s first reactions recommended audiences are in for a wild trip, all of them agree it is stuffed with sports activities film clichés. So, the place do they stand on the film general?
With Prime Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski on the helm, we’re little question anticipating an expertise worthy of being seen in 4DX or IMAX with intense race scenes (and sure, Brad Pitt and Damson Idris truly did get behind the wheel). In accordance with Ross Bonaime of Collider, it fulfills these expectations and delivers among the finest racing motion pictures ever, regardless of hitting all of the tropes. He charges it 8 out of 10 and writes:
That is the form of movie constructed for the summer season: a loud, thrilling film that simply feels costly that’ll make you wish to clap with pleasure over even essentially the most minuscule moments and high-five the stranger subsequent to you in a packed theater. F1 is an absolute blast and one of the vital thrilling movies to return out this summer season, a movie that may put you on the sting of your seat and make you glad that filmmakers like Kosinski are nonetheless making movies like this at present.
Mae Abdulbaki of ScreenRant agrees, additionally giving the film 8 out of 10. The critic says F1 is mainly a 156-minute business with manufacturers in every single place and a very unoriginal story, and nonetheless, Abdulbaki was riveted by each minute of it, saying:
F1 is a theater film for certain. It’s thrilling to look at it with a crowd that’ll react appropriately, from the laughs to the gasps to the cheers (my theater viewers had all three reactions). Even in case you’re not into the game or have by no means watched a race in its entirety (I haven’t), F1 will nonetheless maintain your curiosity. It is perhaps a Method One promotional film at its core, however at the least it’s a rattling good movie.
Clint Gage of IGN admits that F1 “gained’t win any awards for originality,” however says the sports activities film method has stayed the identical for a cause — it’s fairly exhausting to mess up. Regardless of giving in to these tried-and-true ways, the critic says you may inform everybody had enjoyable making this film, and that enthusiasm is infectious. Gage provides it a “Good” 7 out of 10 and writes:
Prime Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski assembles an all-star crew in entrance of and behind the digicam for F1, they usually craft a technical marvel of a film. It’s beautiful and thrilling to have a look at, with top-notch modifying backing up Brad Pitt’s IMAX-consuming charisma. It is a devoted devotee to the sports-movie method that’s saved from greatness by a number of too many pointless elements and a end line that possibly ought to’ve been nearer than two and a half hours away. However despite that, it’s nonetheless a hell of a trip.
Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence provides the film a B+ for the way it captures the adrenaline and hazard of being within the driver’s seat. The film (particularly the races) isn’t boring, Miller says, however you undoubtedly begin to really feel that 2.5-plus-hour runtime. The critic says:
Story-wise, the plot is substantial sufficient to maintain F1 from feeling like a two-hour-and-35-minute Method 1 commercial. (Yeah, this one’s lengthy.) The dangerous information is that it covers various of your traditional sports activities motion pictures tropes, comparable to Sonny’s tragic previous, and naturally Sonny and proficient up-and-comer Joshua (Damson Idris, who makes essentially the most of his restricted character improvement) wind up butting heads. You’ll see a number of the different cliches coming a mile down the observe, and it seems like there’s possibly yet one more massive plot beat than obligatory.
Witney Seibold of SlashFilm has the least endurance for F1’s shortcomings from the evaluations I learn, ranking the movie 4.5 out of 10. Like Tom Cruise in Prime Gun: Maverick, Brad Pitt is a “earlier technology’s fairly boy” decided to show he’s “nonetheless obtained it,” Seibold says. The driving sequences are enjoyable, however the critic says that’s not sufficient, writing:
Had F1 been a decent 90 minutes, maybe a variety of its extra obtrusive writing flaws could possibly be forgiven, or at the least ignored (nicely, the horrible dealing with of Condon’s character however). However at a bloated 156 minutes, audiences may have too ample time to ponder the movie’s many weaknesses. The racing shall be thrilling — very thrilling, the truth is — and Pitt is actually a film star, however fairly frankly, I can have my very own midlife disaster, thanks. I needn’t watch Pitt’s.
The critics appear to agree that F1 goes on slightly longer than obligatory and doesn’t precisely deliver the originality. Nonetheless, at the least for many, that’s hardly a priority. Sports activities film tropes are well-liked for a cause — they make for good motion pictures, and it feels like Brad Pitt and Joseph Kosinski have succeeded in making a type of. F1 hits theaters on Friday, June 27.