Movie review
June 25, 2025 · 156 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
F1 is a straight-up racing underdog flick: Brad Pitt plays washed-up vet Sonny Hayes who comes out of retirement to save a struggling F1 team and mentor hotshot rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). Lewis Hamilton, the real-life diversity activist, produced it and openly pushed to make the team “super diverse” on screen so kids see “a place for you” no matter gender or background. You get a Black co-lead driver, a female technical director, and a mixed pit crew—visible choices that stand out but never turn into lectures or plot drivers. The movie stays laser-focused on rivalries, crashes, and teamwork. No heavy identity sermons, just light background nods.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for F1.
Woke representation / casting
Intentional diverse casting and key roles (Black rookie, female tech director) pushed by Hamilton to highlight inclusion, but not race/gender-swapped legacy characters.
Woke political dialogue
None reported in plot summaries or reviews; story sticks to racing drama.
Identity-driven story themes
Diversity is visible in team makeup as background representation, but not central to plot or character arcs.
Western institutional / cultural critique
No critique of F1 traditions or institutions; focuses on personal redemption and teamwork.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant (original story, no established canon altered).
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Minimal anti-woke pushback; controversy mostly from the opposite direction about insufficient depth.
Creator track record context
Hamilton’s activism raises the baseline, but director/writer/producer team’s prior work (Top Gun Maverick) pulls it down.
Production
