Joseph Kosinski’s F1 is undoubtedly an adrenaline rush, yet Brad Pitt’s character and performance lack the same energy as the rest of the film.
Joseph Kosinski’s F1 is undoubtedly an adrenaline rush, yet Brad Pitt’s character and performance lack the same energy as the rest of the film.
Currently playing in theaters across the United States, the film features Pitt as racing driver Sonny Hayes, who makes a comeback to Formula One after a lengthy absence. His return is primarily to assist his old friend, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), in getting his APXGP F1 Team into shape, which necessitates collaboration with promising rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).
In its opening weekend, F1 grossed approximately $144 million at the global box office. While it hasn’t recouped its budget yet, that figure is significant enough to please Apple Studios. The film’s performance in the coming weeks, especially with competition from Jurassic World and Superman, remains to be seen, but the prospect of a F1 sequel (or a Days of Thunder crossover that has already been hinted at) is certainly within reach.
We can only hope that if a sequel occurs, Pitt’s character is more engaging than in this installment.
Brad Pitt’s Character Drags F1 Down
Brad Pitt is undeniably a movie star. For decades, he has captivated audiences with a variety of memorable roles: Tyler Durden, Rusty Ryan, and Cliff Booth, to name a few. When you hire someone like Pitt to collaborate with Kosinski—a director known for blockbuster spectacles like 2010’s Tron: Legacy and 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick—it should be a guaranteed success.
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Unfortunately, Pitt’s performance here is far from a slam dunk. The script prioritizes fast-paced, breathtaking racing scenes over character development or emotional depth, and Pitt appears disengaged throughout. While he did some of his own racing during production, that energy doesn’t translate to his performance; in dialogue-heavy scenes, he seems uninterested and lacks the effort to make them compelling. His speech to Kerry Condon about his love for racing should carry emotional weight, yet it comes off as wooden, perhaps due to the forced nature of the Condon/Pitt love story.
How Pitt’s Role Could Have Been Improved
The issue may not rest solely on Pitt’s shoulders. A significant flaw in F1 is that Sonny Hayes is portrayed as a character who can do no wrong. In his first race, he wins effortlessly. He joins Bardem’s F1 team as their last hope, and every subsequent race sees him devising miraculous strategies to improve their performance. He occasionally clashes with Idris’ character, but by the film’s third act, Idris has largely adapted to Pitt’s methods while Sonny Hayes remains unchanged.
This character lacks vulnerability and depth, presenting a persona that is always right. Tom Cruise played a somewhat similar role in Top Gun: Maverick, but Cruise can sell that simply by being himself. Pitt is not Cruise; they are different actors with distinct energies. He requires a more fleshed-out, perhaps eccentric character to truly shine. Assigning him a role akin to Cruise’s does a disservice to both the film and the actor.
Viewers flock to F1 for the thrilling racing scenes, and Kosinski delivers on that front. However, with a runtime of 156 minutes, one expects more than just racing. The absence of substantial content makes the lengthy runtime feel burdensome.
If Pitt’s character had been granted a more profound arc or if there was more vitality in his performance, the movie could have been a more enjoyable experience. As it stands, the film feels as though it’s perpetually starting and stopping, never quite finding its rhythm.
