F1: The Movie 4K Blu-ray delivers truly amazing video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Racing legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.
For more about F1: The Movie 4K and the F1: The Movie 4K Blu-ray release, see F1: The Movie 4K Blu-ray Review published by Randy Miller III on October 9, 2025 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
Tom Cruise is nowhere to be found, but it wouldn't be a stretch to describe Joseph Kosinski's F1 The Movie as a Top Gun: Maverick-style descendent of 1990's Days of Thunder. All share
producers in Jerry Bruckheimer, while Maverick and F1 share directors in Kosinski as well as a high degree of technical proficiency and
big-budget spectacle designed to be enjoyed on a large screen with huge speakers and a bucket of popcorn to pass around. F1 drifts further
back from a narrative perspective, attempting to weave through familiar story beats while contending with a shaky script, yet it ultimately delivers
just enough action, star power, and excitement to make up for other shortcomings.
The plot might be razor-thin, especially for a film that runs for a seemingly daunting 155 minutes, but F1 zooms by almost as
quickly as any car driven by Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), an over-the-hill racer whose Formula 1 career was cut short in a near-fatal crash at the 1993
Spanish Grand Prix. Still driving for sporadic paychecks and living off the beaten path much like Cliff Booth, Sonny's recent win at the 24 Hours of Daytona brings his
glory days back for a victory lap. He's tracked down by former teammate Rubén Cervantes (Javier Bardem) and asked for join his struggling
ApexGP F1 racing team, which needs wins under its belt to get Cervantes out of massive financial debt. Their first secret weapon is brash young
driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), whose ego exceeds his lack of wins... but the same thing could be said about Sonny in his younger days, so
now the elder statesman might be their second secret weapon. Along with technical director Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon), team principal
Kaspar Smolinski (Kim Bodnia), race engineer Will Merrick (Hugh Nickleby), and other supporters, Sonny aims to literally get Apex back in the race.
Again, those looking for a measured exploration of the human condition won't find it in F1. Seasoned film lovers will easily see plot
developments coming long in advance: dangerous crashes, close calls, team turbulence, and even a vague threat from within that appears down the
road. One could argue that its surprisingly small amount of subplots and detours aren't even developed well enough despite more than enough
room in its runtime, which endures a few nagging pit stops around the two-thirds mark. Yet unsurprisingly, the extraordinarily well-made racing
sequences -- all aided by unprecedented cooperation from F1 teams and principals, access to world-renowned venues including the UK's Silverstone
Circuit, filming during the real-life F1 2023-24 seasons, appearances and "performances" by well-known racers, and a bevvy of newly-crafted
camera equipment to capture the action -- lead the charge here, propelling F1 from a mushy mid-tier melodrama to an almost
four-star crowd-pleaser that mostly sticks the landing.
Further merits include F1's focus on equipment and car design as well as the original score by Hans Zimmer, which alternates between more
traditional orchestral moments during the human drama to bracing electronic tones in the heat of racing. (Much less can be said about the
occasional needle-drop music cues, many of which feel either a little too on-the-nose or noticeably out of place.) Aside from that, my only other
nagging gripes mirror the same things I don't like about real-life racing: overly dramatized announcers -- which, in this case, hand-hold the
audience to an almost laughable degree -- and non-stop product placement, hence my cheeky tagline above. Otherwise, F1 is fun
enough to forgive, although it doesn't hold a candle to smarter racing films like Ford v Ferrari.
Given the film's rousing box office success during a banner year, Warner Bros. has delivered a satisfying assortment of home video packages for
F1 including separate 4K and Blu-ray editions as well as the preferred Steelbook combo pack, which as always remains elusive and may very well be impossible to find in a
matter of days. All of them deliver solid to outstanding A/V presentations, although the entry-level bonus features favor quantity over quality.
NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the Blu-ray edition, also available separately and reviewed here.
The technically proficient F1 unsurprisingly shines in UHD, and this nicely-appointed 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer allows home viewers
to bask in the film's native 4K visual delights. In short, it looks like a million bucks here with rock-solid image detail, day or night, with excellent color
reproduction seen on bold primaries and banding-free gradients that show off glossy paint jobs, glowing brake rotors, pinpoint hues in wide establishing
shots, and post or mid-race fireworks displays. Textures aren't far behind either as seem on clothing, close-ups, and background details including sand,
gravel, and smoothly-paved tracks. The almost sterile white ApexGP garage and its fluorescent lighting looks squeaky clean and stands in comparison
to more warmly-lit interiors such as VIP suites, luxury hotel rooms, and a restaurant where three team players have an impromptu meeting. Overall,
this is a carefully controlled presentation that exemplifies the strengths of UHD and plays without a hitch on this triple-layered disc, maintaining a high
and supportive bit rate that displays absolutely no compression-related issues from start to finish.
Equally impressive is the Dolby Atmos audio, which delivers the goods from start to finish while inarguably roaring to life most prominently during the
film's numerous racing sequences. From the low end of engine response to squealing brakes, from the roar of the crowd to the ever-present echo of
those perpetually narrating announcers, smooth panning effects while racers battle for position, and visceral in-car responses to the chaos, this is a
full-bodied presentation that also features crisp dialogue, nicely appointed background ambiance, and music cues that regularly fill out the surround
channels while occasionally venturing overhead. While I didn't get the chance to see F1 theatrically, one can assume that this lossless audio
mix delivers all the thrills and excitement that your personal setup can muster.
Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are included during the main feature and all extras listed below.
This release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover art, a matte-finish slipcover, and a Digital Copy code. The extras are varied in subject
matter, but all of them are far too short with a disappointing surface-level sheen.
Inside the F1 The Movie Table Read (5:10) - This short piece includes footage from a June 2023 table read shot at
Silverstone Circuit as well as brief interview segments with key members of the cast and crew.
The Anatomy of a Crash (6:28) - Director Joseph Kosinski, special effects supervisor Keith Dawson, and others briefly
discuss various approaches to shooting one of the film's many crashes.
Getting Up to Speed (5:02) - This similarly bite-sized piece features additional sequence choreographer Craig Dolby,
actors Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, lead sequence choreographer Luciano Bacheta, and others who talk about the extensive training needed to prepare
the racers for getting behind the wheel.
APXGP Innovations (5:26) - Director Joseph Kosinski, executive producer Tim Bampton, and others return to shed some
light on the film's multi-angle approach to capturing racing footage on camera.
Making It to Silverstone (5:08) - Pitt, Idris, Kosinski, and other usual suspects convey their gratitude for the unique
chance to film at the UK's renowned Silverstone Circuit facility.
Lewis Hamilton: Producer (5:18) - A lightweight but sincere tribute to the Formula 1 legend and nine-time Silverstone
winner, who of course doubles (triples?) as one of F1's many producers.
APXGP Sets and Locations Around the World (9:26) - This comparatively epic-length piece fittingly serves as an
all-purpose look at the unprecedented multi-venue access granted to the cast and crew.
APXGP and F1: How It Was Filmed (5:45) - Returning to more comfortable five-minute territory, this brief featurette sheds
more light on how such a high level of realism was able to be achieved.
Sound of Speed (5:01) - This final piece looks a brief but welcome look at the film's realistic approach to sound design as
well as the two-toned sonic contributions of composer Hans Zimmer.
Joseph Kosinski's F1 The Movie ain't rocket surgery, but it's perhaps the most technically proficient racing movie ever made... and for that
alone, it'll absolutely thrill fans of the sport. Those looking for in-depth character development and a carefully written original script won't get either of
those things, but they might end up having fun too. Warner Bros.' 4K and Blu-ray offer great to outstanding technical merits, with the UHD edition
obviously getting a comfortable win, while both share the road in a preferred Steelbook combo pack. Firmly Recommended to the right crowd.
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