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This week at The Tryon Theatre is “F1: The Movie,” a quintessential summer blockbuster, chock full of all the hallmarks we expect from such accessible entertainment. This film explores the Formula 1 racing world through a fictional narrative set within that real world framework. So while the material does mythologize the sport and its iconic teams, it features drivers unique to the film’s story. This film’s director, Joseph Kosiinski who last directed “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), expertly captures the sport’s speed and ferocity, with many point of view shots from directly inside the cockpits of the F1 cars, bringing an immersive and mesmerizing quality to the film’s numerous laps and pit stops.

The value of F1: The Movie is most certainly the exhilaration of its racing scenes, the gripping tension of the dangerous speeds and razor thin margin of error at which these drivers operate. However, the payoff of these rewarding races is still dependent on the audience caring about the driver behind the wheel. Playing the lead, and one of film’s drivers, is Brad Pitt, whose classic movie star charisma and charm are wonderfully suited to this role.

Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a legendary driver from the 1990s who finds himself called back to the track for one final attempt at glory. With Pitt’s current age and his increasingly weathered good looks, he has matured into playing the laid back and wry confidence of a seasoned veteran, the freneticisms of his once boyish youth now traded for the cool calm of an experienced professional.

However, all of Pitt’s looks and charismas aside, it is also his acting ability that brings the film home. His capacity for appearing authentic is necessary for the viewer to care about his struggle for victory and the risks he assumes in his pursuit.

Luckily, while filling the film to the brim with beautiful faces, “F1: The Movie” has not opted for a single actor who didn’t equally possess the acting ability to bring substance to their role. From Kerry Condon, Damson Idris, and Javier Bardem, Pitt has strong competition in the film for both his on screen magnetism and his capacity for performance.

The film is exciting and energetic, and walks an intentionally PG-13 line of content that opens its appeal to most all audience members. While it is an original story for the silver screen, it taps into predictable and reliable thrills to achieve its success. Any audience expecting this film to break the mold of genre conventions should look elsewhere. At the same time, if any audience member is in pursuit of guaranteed cinematic-summer-popcorn-fun, then “F1: The Movie” is the proverbial ticket.

We hope you all will join us for all the squealing tires and break neck speeds in “F1: The Movie”!

On an important note of scheduling, this film will be held for two weeks, July 2nd through 6th and July 9th through 13th.