Critics Are Calling F1 ‘A Hell Of A Ride,' But They Agree There's One Thing Keeping It From The Finish Line

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Brad Pitt's F1 has been one of the most highly anticipated theatrical releases of the year, and now the wait is almost over. Critics had the opportunity to screen the Formula One-inspired sports drama ahead of its June 27 release on the 2025 movie calendar, and while F1's first reactions suggested audiences are in for a wild ride, they all agree it's full of sports movie clichés. So, where do they stand on the movie overall?
With Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski at the helm, we're no doubt expecting an experience worthy of being seen in 4DX or IMAX with intense race scenes (and yes, Brad Pitt and Damson Idris actually did get behind the wheel). According to Ross Bonaime of Collider, it fulfills those expectations and delivers one of the best racing movies ever, despite hitting all the tropes. He rates it 8 out of 10 and writes:
This is the sort of film built for the summer: a loud, exciting movie that just feels expensive that'll make you want to clap with excitement over even the most minuscule moments and high-five the stranger next to you in a packed theater. F1 is an absolute blast and one of the most exciting films to come out this summer, a film that will put you on the edge of your seat and make you glad that filmmakers like Kosinski are still making films like this today.
Mae Abdulbaki of ScreenRant agrees, also giving the movie 8 out of 10. The critic says F1 is basically a 156-minute commercial with brands everywhere and a completely unoriginal story, and still, Abdulbaki was riveted by every minute of it, saying:
F1 is a theater movie for sure. It's exciting to watch it with a crowd that'll react appropriately, from the laughs to the gasps to the cheers (my theater audience had all three reactions). Even if you're not into the sport or have never watched a race in its entirety (I haven't), F1 will still hold your interest. It might be a Formula One promotional movie at its core, but at least it's a damn good film.
Clint Gage of IGN admits that F1 'won't win any awards for originality,' but says the sports movie formula has stayed the same for a reason — it's pretty hard to mess up. Despite giving in to those tried-and-true tactics, the critic says you can tell everyone had fun making this movie, and that enthusiasm is infectious. Gage gives it a 'Good' 7 out of 10 and writes:
Top Gun: Maverick's Joseph Kosinski assembles an all-star crew in front of and behind the camera for F1, and they craft a technical marvel of a movie. It's gorgeous and thrilling to look at, with top-notch editing backing up Brad Pitt's IMAX-consuming charisma. It's a faithful devotee to the sports-movie formula that's kept from greatness by a few too many unnecessary components and a finish line that maybe should've been closer than two and a half hours away. But in spite of that, it's still a hell of a ride.
Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence gives the movie a B+ for how it captures the adrenaline and danger of being in the driver's seat. The movie (especially the races) is never boring, Miller says, but you definitely start to feel that 2.5-plus-hour runtime. The critic says:
Story-wise, the plot is substantial enough to keep F1 from feeling like a two-hour-and-35-minute Formula 1 advertisement. (Yeah, this one's long.) The bad news is that it covers more than a few of your classic sports movies tropes, such as Sonny's tragic past, and of course Sonny and talented up-and-comer Joshua (Damson Idris, who makes the most of his limited character development) wind up butting heads. You'll see some of the other cliches coming a mile down the track, and it feels like there's maybe one more big plot beat than necessary.
Witney Seibold of SlashFilm has the least patience for F1's shortcomings from the reviews I read, rating the film 4.5 out of 10. Like Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, Brad Pitt is a 'previous generation's pretty boy' determined to prove he's 'still got it,' Seibold says. The driving sequences are fun, but the critic says that's not enough, writing:
Had F1 been a tight 90 minutes, perhaps a lot of its more glaring writing flaws could be forgiven, or at least ignored (well, the terrible handling of Condon's character notwithstanding). But at a bloated 156 minutes, audiences will have too ample time to ponder the film's many weaknesses. The racing will be exciting — very exciting, in fact — and Pitt is certainly a movie star, but quite frankly, I can have my own midlife crisis, thank you. I don't need to watch Pitt's.
The critics seem to agree that F1 goes on a little longer than necessary and doesn't exactly bring the originality. However, at least for most, that's hardly a concern. Sports movie tropes are popular for a reason — they make for good movies, and it sounds like Brad Pitt and Joseph Kosinski have succeeded in making one of those. F1 hits theaters on Friday, June 27.