Image via Apple Films
In the era of IP dominance at the box office, “formulaic” has become an oft-used term in movie discourse and criticism. Franchises, such as the MCU, are particularly lambasted for their recycling of plot structures and habitual inclusion of storytelling clichés. While these criticisms are valid—especially considering the number of superhero projects that feel like they’ve led to the exact same frantic, loud, and messy CGI fight in the end—it’s interesting that some filmic clichés and “formulas” tend to get more of a pass from audiences and critics alike, while others don’t. This can be seen in the recent success of F1: The Movie. Joseph Kosinski’s racing film has been an impressive box office success, already totaling nearly $300 million worldwide. Perhaps more notably, it’s garnered a stellar 83% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. When digging into the reviews of the film, though, one can’t help but notice that even the critics with a favorable view have a propensity to point out the film’s formulaic nature. While it is certainly entertaining, F1 does contain a plot you could probably predict from one viewing of the trailer and just about every sports movie cliché in the book. So, the question is, why are critics and fans more lenient on it than other films with similar problems?
‘F1′ is an Excellent Summer Blockbuster, But Not Exactly an Original One
In F1, Brad Pitt stars as a character named Sonny Hayes, a sports movie name if ever there was one. Hayes is a past-his-prime racecar driver who bounces around the country from race to race before getting recruited back into the world of Formula One by an old friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem). Hayes returns to the sport he left as an unlikely underdog, thrust into a position of leadership on a ragtag, last-place team, and forced to mentor a hotshot rookie named Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). Along the way, he makes rousing speeches about the beauty of his sport and the meaning of winning, battles his past demons, instills confidence in some of his team members who don’t yet believe in themselves, starts a love affair with someone he meets through his new position (Kerry Condon), and pisses a lot of people off. If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen a sports movie before—or really just any film that features a gruff but lovable underdog in the leading role. F1 doesn’t just borrow from some of the past classics in its own genre, it also feels very reminiscent of some of the prior work of its key figures. There is a sequence early in the film meant to showcase Hayes’ driving ability that feels undoubtedly influenced by the test run scene in Kosinski’s previous hit, Top Gun: Maverick. There are also several instances of Pitt’s character delivering lines of dialogue about not celebrating after someone else beats you that feel like they were directly lifted from the script of Moneyball.
Related
The 10 Best Movies Clichés, Ranked
From the fake relationship to the triumph of the underdog, these are the best movie clichés.
With all great sports movies needing a villain, F1 provides one in the form of Tobias Menzies as an untrustworthy team investor and racing novice. Though Menzies is great in the role, his storyline feels somewhat crammed in, in a way that highlights the idea that Kosinski may have been more interested in the film’s remarkable racing scenes, than the dramatic elements of the plot. Also, it’s not like a less-than-likable owner figure who may actually be rooting for their team to lose is something we’ve never seen in a sports movie before. Famously, it is what drove the entire plot of Major League. While these critiques don’t add up to make F1 a bad film—mostly because Kosinski’s high-octane directing style outweighs any of the issues with the story—it is fair to point out that originality is not one of the things the movie can be praised for.
People Will Forgive Clichés If They Can Recognize Passion In the Filmmaking
Frankly, it’s hard to tell a truly original story these days. Even if somebody makes an incredibly modern film that speaks to the exact moment we are currently living through, you’ll inevitably be able to notice some of its influences. There is a reason this doesn’t bother us as much as sitting through the latest piece of unimaginative, big-budget, IP slop does, though. Folks are far more forgiving of formulas and clichés if they feel like the people making the film were passionate about the material and have a genuine respect for the audience it is intended for. The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with making something that feels comfortable and familiar. The problems only arise when something feels like it was cynically designed to capture an audience (or an algorithm) by following a formula. People show up for certain genres—such as sports movies and rom-coms—knowing what they want and expecting that to be given to them. Therefore, it’s not a problem if things play out fairly predictably, so long as the viewer doesn’t feel like they’re being manipulated or targeted. The level of filmmaking talent, star power, and craftsmanship on display are key factors as well. That is why an action franchise like Mission: Impossible is much more respected among critics than the Fast & Furious films are, even if both can be accused of being formulaic at times. It’s also why people can be less forgiving of things that fall into the “once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all” category, such as those climactic CGI superhero fights. When it comes to the MCU specifically, the “formulaic” criticisms are usually louder due to the abundance of those movies. The sheer number of MCU and other comic book movies that were made in such a short period of time led people to grow tired of that formula fairly quickly. Something like F1 gets more of a pass because it is not like we’re getting tons of sports dramas every year. It’s important to remember that these clichés and formulas exist for one specific reason: they work. It’s okay to return to similar story structures. But, it’s also crucial to keep in mind that, if you’re doing it as a cash grab and not because you have a genuine love for the material or genre, people will notice.
F1
Release Date
June 27, 2025
Runtime
156 Minutes
Director
Joseph Kosinski
About The Author
