With two and a half hours of auto racing, F1: The Movie is not exactly ideal for the small screen on an in-flight entertain- ment system. But in another respect, no film could be better suited for cabin viewing. If you’re looking to put your brain on autopilot while cruising at an altitude of over 9,144m, your best bet is a film that puts cinematic superstar Brad Pitt front and center while deftly updating his stereotypical presence on the screen.

For his new movie F1: The Movie, it’s little exaggeration to say that director Joseph Kosinski took the formula of his previous film Top Gun: Maverick and swapped out Tom Cruise for Brad Pitt and fighter jets for race cars. Sonny Hayes (played by Pitt) was once a rising star in the motorsport scene, but exited in disgrace after a crash three decades ago. Since then, he scrapes by as a racer-for-hire, taking whatever gigs come his way. His gambling habit and three divorces haven’t done him any favors.

As the film begins, Sonny is at a team race in Daytona. Waking up in his camper, he warms up with some calis- thenics and heads over to the track to scope out the competition, which leaves him distinctly unimpressed. If we could read his mind, he might’ve been thinking something like, “Give these kiddies a minute alone and look what they get up to! This old pro is here to show them how it’s done!” His mismatched socks suggest a man who doesn’t sweat the small things, while his pull-up routine implies a disdain for ceremony.

The opening sequence shows us that Sonny is the kind of driving genius who can skillfully handle whatever wheel he finds himself behind — whether a BMW or a McLaren (or a New York taxi, for that matter). While it’s highly unrealistic to imagine that anybody could have mastery of every possible automobile, that’s a necessary flex for a quick-thinking freelancer expected to knock off whatever jobs come his way. And above all, Sonny looks fantastic. Even when he tears off his helmet, his disheveled hair flows out with effortless perfection. In short, F1: The Movie is less interested in the engineering wizardry of an automobile that converts force to speed than in presenting Pitt for the audience’s appreciation in the most flattering lighting and camera angles.

Flush with his Daytona winnings and already revving up for the next race, Sonny is approached by an old friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem), who begs him to join Apex Grand Prix (APXGP), his F1 team that’s on the verge of falling apart. When Sonny signs on as the team’s second driver, he gets on the bad side of Joshua (Damson Idris), the team’s main driver who dismisses Sonny as a dinosaur. Sonny works with the team’s lead engineer, Kate (Kerry Condon), to fine-tune his car as they check off each race in the Formula One World Championship. Sonny is a maverick on the track, climbing the rankings with off-the-wall plays and rule-bending gambits that infuriate his rivals. Inevitably, perhaps, chemistry builds between Sonny and Kate, ignited by their professional respect for each other.

Shooting car films has never been easy, but it’s especially intimidating after the monumental mayhem of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). According to Claudio Miranda, the cinematographer for Top Gun: Maverick who also worked on F1: The Movie, the latter was the tougher of the two. He noted the need to impress audiences accustomed to regularly watching races on television. Despite undeniably being a star vehicle — a film designed to ramp up Pitt’s star wattage to the maximum output — F1: The Movie deploys the latest and greatest cinematic tricks with impeccable timing. It translates the visceral energy of racing to the big screen and adroitly leads a rapt audience through the nine races that decide the championship. That’s no mean feat.

But for a racing movie that runs well over two hours, F1: The Movie is surprisingly shy about delving into the real-life issues behind motorsport. Kosinski skirts the industry’s fundamental dilemma: drivers devote themselves to perfecting their skills, but reaching the pinnacle of their sport means entering a league beholden to money and politics. Anyone who excels in a field would presumably be interested in better understanding their environment and improving their toolkit. So it’s a shame that Sonny’s relationship with technical director Kate doesn’t move the needle and culminates lamely in a one-night detour to Las Vegas, far from the racetrack.

At this point, it’s worth comparing the strategies that Hollywood’s high-flying male leads like Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are using to navigate middle age. One common trait is they’ve preserved the classic aura of the screen icon without ever donning a cape. Tom Cruise may not play a superhero, but he certainly comes across as superhuman. Even as he ages, he’d doubled down on his image as a real-life action hero through the Mission: Impossible franchise. Footage of his stunt work, which seemingly strains his body beyond the bounds of the human, has become the ultimate marketing tool. In the style of Buster Keaton and Jackie Chan, Cruise has become the guardian angel of analog cinema, literally risking his life for the perfect shot. In short, Cruise refuses to age.

Then there’s Leonardo DiCaprio, who has chosen to deconstruct stereotypes about the male hero. With the exception of The Great Gatsby, most of his strongest performances since the 2010s — The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Killers of the Flower Moon, and the recent One Battle After Another — present DiCaprio with a look of bewilderment as he’s fooled by fate and trounced by the times. He sets aside his charisma, redirecting viewers’ attention toward his artistic vision and his acting chops. Brad Pitt’s approach hews closer to Cruise’s than DiCaprio’s, with one crucial difference. In contrast with Cruise’s death-defying exertions, Pitt, in F1: The Movie, doesn’t seem to exert himself at all. He glides across the screen like a purring sports car as if to say, “I’m Brad Pitt, don’t you know?” He has the vulnerable look of some- body adored since their youth. And when he appears on the big screen, audiences are astonished to discover how gorgeous he still looks despite being over 60 years old. Pitt has never had a wide dramatic range; even his voice has a limited register. But there’s a cadence to his acting — the swagger of an alpha male with an innate sense of when to push ahead, when to pull back and when to shift into neutral. And that remains this star’s greatest weapon.

• Kim Haery is a journalist and film critic who writes and speaks about cinema. Since the mid-1990s, she has been a leading voice at Cine21, shaping the direction of Korean film journalism with criticism that is both incisive and widely accessible.

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Senna (2010)

This documentary retraces the life of Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian driver who won the Formula One World Championship three times in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Senna was racing at a time before automotive engineering and computer systems came into their own, a time when drivers had more room for experimentation. Senna rose above the limits of his car, while also advocating greater safety for his fellow drivers.

Moneyball (2011)

This Major League Baseball film finds a novel way to harness Brad Pitt’s star power. As the new general manager of the cash-strapped Oakland Athletics, Billy Beane (Pitt) sets out to revolutionize how the team is run. He’s the rare kind of “hero” who trusts statistics over savvy and calculation over conversation, while driving his agenda
forward with peculiar powers of persuasion.

Rush (2013)

A hidden gem from director Ron Howard, this film follows the paths of two fierce rivals with contrasting styles in the world of 1970s Formula One racing: cool-headed, analytical Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) and daring, impulsive James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth). Recognizing each other’s brilliance, the two forge a peculiar friendship that lasts a lifetime.

Ferrari (2023)

It would be a shame to skip this one just because you’ve seen Ford v Ferrari (2019). This is both a drama about the life’s work and family history of visionary car designer Enzo Ferrari, and as you might expect of director Michael Mann — a study of masculinity in crisis. There’s an infamous mid-race crash scene here, but Penélope Cruz’s role as Enzo’s wife, Laura Ferrari, makes an even bigger impact.

Tron: Ares

The world of Tron, where the lines between the real and the virtual blur, is returning once more. In an age where the virtual can be made real, a moment of profound confrontation arrives as the AI program Ares (Jared Leto), a digital being of superhuman strength, speed and advanced intelligence, is sent into the physical world. However, Ares soon begins to move beyond human control, plunging humanity into a crisis unlike any it has faced before.

The Senior

Mike Flynt (Michael Chiklis) was once a college football player, and now, 37 years later, he is going back to univer- sity to fulfill a promise to his former teammates: to take up the position of linebacker. At the age of 59, he faces a world of obstacles — the long gap in his career and his age — but as he trains and sweats alongside the younger players, he learns to live life at a different pace. Yet, the reality he faces when he finally steps back onto the field is as unforgiving as ever.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

Following an unexpected accident, Sarah (Margot Robbie) and David
(Colin Farrell) find themselves lost, adrift in their own lives. They meet by chance at a friend’s wedding and soon find themselves following a mysterious navigation system that guides them through magical doors that show them their memories. As they embark on this time-traveling adventure back to key moments in their pasts, they begin to face their old wounds, and the journey becomes a process of mutual healing.

Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie

The beloved story of Gabby and her friends, which has captivated children all over the world, finally comes to the big screen. Gabby, who can magically shrink to the size of her toy companions using her cat-ear headband, embarks on a grand new adventure to protect the very special world inside her dollhouse. Be prepared for a fantastic new space and expanded scale for her wonderfully imaginative cast of characters.

Pretty Crazy

Gilgu (Ahn Bohyun) is living an ordinary life when he is instantly smitten after meeting his new downstairs neighbor, Seonji (Lim Yoona). However, he quickly becomes perplexed when she begins to change, taking on a completely different persona late at night. When Gilgu discovers the secret of his quiet-by-day, strange-by-night neighbor, his predictable life is thrown into hilarious, unpredictable chaos.

Rebound

Yanghyun (Ahn Jaehong), a basketball player whose career never quite took off, is assigned as the new coach of a team which is on the brink of being dissolved. In their very first national match, they face off against the powerhouse Yongsan High and suffer the indignity of a forfeit. But instead of giving up, Yanghyun chooses to rebuild the team. The players, each with their own complex personal story, slowly come together, finding harmony with one another as a team.

I Can Speak

Okboon (Na Moonhee) is known as the “Complaint Queen” of her neighborhood, becoming a frequent source of irritation for Minjae (Lee Jehoon), a straight-laced civil servant who has just been posted to the local office. The two constantly bicker over paperwork, but an unexpected request for Minjae to teach her English gradually draws them closer. During this process, he comes to truly understand the woman he once found so annoying, uncovering the painful reason why she’s so dedicated to learning the language.

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds

Firefighter Jahong (Cha Taehyun) dies while saving a child from a blaze. In the afterlife, he is met by three grim reapers: Ganglim (Ha Jungwoo), Haewonmaek (Ju Jihoon) and Deok- choon (Kim Hyanggi). Believing him to be a gwi-in (“paragon of virtue”), the first to appear in 19 years, they become his guardians, guiding him on a 49-day journey through the seven levels of hell towards rebirth. The trials slowly peel back the layers of the choices, hidden wounds and ultimate

Maleficent

In this fantasy centering on Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), the infamous villain from Sleeping Beauty has her fairy wings stolen by Stefan (Sharlto Copley), a human she trusted. This act of betrayal leads her to curse his daughter, Aurora (Elle Fanning), with eternal sleep. As Aurora grows, Maleficent finds herself developing a soft spot for
the girl, and the two forge an unexpected bond. When the worlds of humans and fairies finally collide, Maleficent abandons vengeance and her own curse to cast a new ending for herself.

Kong: Skull Island

A team of veteran researchers and soldiers are dispatched to explore the uncharted, mythical land of Skull Island. Battling treacherous weather to reach a place captured only in satellite images, they soon find themselves in a shocking fight for survival as they encounter the colossal King Kong and a host of other primal creatures. As they navigate a terrifying ecosystem filled with ancient life and uncover hidden ancient secrets, the team must choose between getting out alive and uncovering the full truth.

Dolittle

Dr. Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.), a veterinarian with the unique ability to talk to animals, isolates himself from the world after losing his beloved wife, preferring the company of his animal friends. However, when the Queen of England falls mysteriously ill and the entire country is in danger, it is revealed that Dr. Dolittle is the only person who can find the cure. He is tasked with a mission to find a mythical, undiscovered island in a race against time. The Doctor is reluctantly forced to confront the world again as he embarks on this dangerous adventure with his charming, quirky menagerie of animal companions.

Soul Surfer

Bethany Hamilton (AnnaSophia Robb) is a promising young surfer in Hawaii when a shark attack brutally takes her left arm. Deeply shaken but refusing to lose her will to return to the sea, she relies on the unwavering support of her family, friends and faith to find a new way to conquer the waves.

Lion

Five-year-old Saroo (Sunny Pawar) falls asleep on a train while waiting
for his older brother, waking up alone and lost in Kolkata, over 1,600km from home. He wanders for months until he is adopted by an Australian family in Tasmania. Twenty-five years later, a grown Saroo (Dev Patel) searches for the family who must’ve spent years looking for him, using fragments of memories and satellite imagery.

The Upside

Philip (Bryan Cranston), a wealthy man with quadriplegia who relies on full- time assistance, interviews for a new caretaker. He meets and hires Dell (Kevin Hart), an unexpected applicant whose spontaneous personality is the antithesis of Philip’s disciplined routine. Initially, the two clash awkwardly, but over time, they learn to complement each other’s shortcomings, forging a true, deep friendship.

Invictus

Newly elected as South Africa’s first Black president, Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) turns his attention to the Springboks, the national rugby team, as a means to unify a country bitterly divided by racial conflict. The team, predominantly white and deeply resented by much of the black popula- tion, seems like an impossible unifying symbol. Yet, Mandela believes in the power of sports to heal the rift.

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