The Oscars buzz is all around, but one of the most surprising contenders for Best Picture is Brad Pitt's sports drama, F1, which is based on the high-octane sport and featured cameos from several of the sport's best-known drivers.
The film is set to go up against the likes of Bugonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners and Train Dreams for the gong. F1 is also nominated in a further three categories, those being for Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects.
The film has been incredibly popular on Apple since it landed on the platform back in June, and it continues to sit at the top of their charts, according to data from FlixPatrol. However, it's not just the United Kingdom where it's sitting at the top, but it's No.1 in nearly 100 other countries, including the likes of Argentina, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States.
The film's synopsis reads: "In the 1990s, Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was Formula 1's most promising driver until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, the owner of a struggling Formula 1 team convinces Sonny to return to racing and become the best in the world.
"Driving alongside the team's hotshot rookie, Sonny soon learns that the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone."
What did fans make of F1?
Fans have been loving the film, with it carrying a 97% approval rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, the critical score for the film is lower at 82%. Their consensus reads: "Driven by Brad Pitt's laidback magnetism and sporting a souped-up engine courtesy of Joseph Kosinski's kinetic direction, F1 The Movie brings vintage cool across the finish line."
In a four-star review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw wrote: "There’s a fair bit of macho silliness here, but the panache with which director Joseph Kosinski puts it together is very entertaining. [Kerry] Condon is a vital fuel ingredient and to a F1 non-believer like me, the result is surreal and spectacular."
One fan said: "The action is good, although unbelievable it's clear the team cared about F1 and did their best to make it exciting to watch. I personally love how corny the whole thing is, it helps you turn off and enjoy the ride. Brad Pitt plays his classic cool guy persona, the supporting crew is entertaining the nods to the real F1 drivers and team directors are nice but not overplayed."
A second penned: "The cinematography is stunning - easily the best I've seen in a racing film since Rush, maybe even since Top Gun: Maverick. The sound design and musical score elevate every race scene to something visceral and epic. I genuinely got chills more than once."
And a third posted: "This is what I call an experience. This movie is what movies are all about. They made promises with this and fulfilled every single one of them."
However, it did come in for criticism from fans of the sport, who highlighted how it wasn't true to the sport. One noted: "The pit stop timings are a joke, strategy makes no sense, tyre degradation is apparently fictional, and someone said 'DRS' like it's a Marvel superpower."
Carlos Sainz Jr, who currently drives for the Williams F1 team, cautioned fans to "be open-minded to Hollywood films" when the film was released.
Who stars in F1?
The film is led by Hollywood legend Brad Pitt, known for roles in the likes of Fight Club, Interview with the Vampire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It also stars Damson Idris (Snowfall), Kerry Condon (Better Call Saul), Javier Bardem (Skyfall) and Tobias Menzies (The Crown).
It also features Kim Bodnia (Killing Eve), Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso), Will Merrick (Skins), Joseph Balderrama (Heartstopper), Abdul Salis (Casualty), Callie Cooke (Britannia) and Samson Kayo (Our Flag Means Death).
The cast is completed by Simon Kunz (The Bill), Liz Kingsman (Borderline), Luciana Bacheta (Spider-Man: Far From Home), Shea Whigham (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Kyle Rankin (Run Hide Fight).