The first reactions for Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski's F1 have arrived – and the sports action flick is being hailed as the film of the summer.
F1 stars Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a Formula One driver who raced in the 1990s and had a horrible crash that forced him to retire from Formula One. Many years later, Ruben, A Formula One team owner and longtime friend, asks Sonny to come out of retirement to mentor rookie prodigy Joshua "Noah" Pearce (Damson Idris) for the Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP).
Kosinski directs from a screenplay by Transformers film franchise writer Ehren Kruger. The film marks his first since the explosive Top Gun: Maverick, which seems like a hard act to follow – but early reactions say otherwise.
"Joseph Kosinski’s #F1TheMovie hits the gas and doesn’t stop," wrote Erik Davis of Fandango. "The races are epic, the sound design, editing, cinematography, performances, and music are all top notch. You definitely feel shades of TOP GUN MAVERICK in that it plays like an old-school summer blockbuster. What a ride."
"#F1TheMovie is absolutely incredible. It’s one of the coolest, most entertaining movies you’ll probably ever see, but none of that sizzle takes away from its soul," praised The Wrap's Greg Taylor. "Kosinski precision engineered an eye-popping, edge of your seat pop epic that makes you feel so much. I adored it."
"#F1TheMovie is a fun, fast-paced thrill ride with a ton of heart! Brad Pitt and Damson Idris are electric!" The Nerds of Color tweeted. "But the star of the show are the exhilarating race sequences that truly put you in the driver’s seat! A reminder of why we love summer blockbusters!
"Joseph Kosinski floors it from the first frame, epic races, jaw-dropping sound design, killer editing, gorgeous cinematography, and a pulse-pounding score," one fan wrote. "It’s TOP GUN: MAVERICK on wheels. Blockbuster loading for WB!"
"#F1TheMovie is absolutely epic and a must watch blockbuster movie for this summer," someone else wrote. "Following up Top Gun: Maverick is no small task but Joseph Kosinski surpasses expectations and makes it easy for anyone to enjoy this film even if you are not interested in F1."
F1 zooms into theaters on June 27. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2025 and beyond, or, check out our list of movie release dates.
