F1: The Movie

But as a formulaic as that premise may be, F1 makes it fresh. It doesn’t try to make the story deep or subversive, but it understands exactly what you want to see from this kind of movie and delivers on it. The main characters are pretty likable, even when they can be a little snobby. And that’s because they let us know exactly where they’re coming from and what their main goals are. It doesn’t try to paint anybody, except maybe a character who comes in near the end, as antagonistic. It just shows people who all need to learn that maybe their way of thinking of others needs to change. It makes the ups and downs they go through all the more interesting and it makes the inevitable climax feel all the more genuine and earned. Besides just that, though, the story is also paced very well to the point where almost no scene doesn’t in some way move along the plot or explore the film’s themes, and the performances are all on point. It’s highly engaging even when off the racetrack.

But of course, the whole reason you’d go to this movie in the first place is because of what happens on the racetrack. And in that regard, F1 has some of the most exhilarating action you’ll see on the silver screen in 2025. The director, Joseph Kosinski, also directed Top Gun: Maverick (it’s kinda one of the movie’s biggest selling points), and he brings his engaging filmmaking techniques over from fighter jets over to these F1 races. The biggest one, of course, involves the quick cuts that enhance the chaos of the moment. But still, like any good race movie should, it lets you know where the characters are in any given moment and it places you into the driver seat of the car, letting you feel everything they feel. I saw this film in IMAX and it was an overwhelming experience that has to be seen to be believed. The sound system was up to snuff allowing you to feel in your seat whenever a car passes by the camera and the big screen definitely made the experience more immersive. But the icing on the cake is how the whole movie is shot with IMAX cameras, so you’re sucked into these engaging races with the entire screen being filled from the ceiling to the floor. While IMAX does enhance virtually any movie, this is one of the few films that I would say needs to be seen in that format. Any other way is cinematic blasphemy.

Ok, with all that said, how does the film fare from a Christian perspective? Like I said before, the movie’s main theme is redemption, not Christian redemption, but redemption in racing. I find that to be a pretty benign thing (unless it leads into idolatry, which cannot be forgiven even if you’ve already placed your faith in Jesus Christ and confessed Him as Lord (Revelation 22:15), but through this storyline, most everyone learns something unique and positive. Sonny learns that his actions have consequences and that he needs to respect his teammates as himself. The APXGP F1 crew realize that Sonny, even if not as well-intended as he should be, does have some insight into how they can own the game. And Joshua, even though he is hurt by Sonny’s actions, learns not to let that overcome him. The whole theme here is teamwork, how everyone should work off each other’s strengths while also subduing each other’s weaknesses, and I think the movie portrays it quite flawlessly without ever being preachy about it.

Still, the content here in order to get to that message is less than inspiring. The biggest issue, of course, would have to be the language. I didn’t keep track of what and how many profanities were used throughout the film, but I did count 2 f-words, a good handful of s-words, some inappropriate uses of God and Jesus” name (including around 4 instances of G*dd*mn), and plenty of other milder curse words. Elsewhere, there’s a scene of implied sex, though it doesn’t show anything more than Sonny and Kate kissing and waking up in bed (Sonny is shown only from the waist up and Kate is face down, so there’s no nudity), some drinking, and a few crash scenes that may be too intense for younger viewers. There’s nothing here that really pushes the PG-13 rating (unless you count how the MPA broke the “1 f***” rule, which I think is a dumb rule to have in the first place), but there is enough here to keep young and/or sensitive audiences away.

Bottom line, if you enjoy racing movies and are able to tolerate the language, F1 might just be the movie for you. They succeeded here in most every way they could. The action is incredible enough, but the character dynamic in the background is also compelling, and even inspiring enough to keep you invested in between the racing scenes. So far, it’s one of the best movies of 2025 and one of the even fewer movies to come out this decade that I can say manages to balance great story and great spectacle. And just like I said with M:I 8, it must be seen on the IMAX screen if possible.