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‘F1’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

December 23, 2025 · F1: The Movie (2025) · Action · Drama · Sport · 1:45:57

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 20:54Brad Pitt crossing paths with Angelina Jolie was like an athlete tearing an ACL and missing two seasons - it sent his career in a different direction and cost him 3-4 more Moneyball-type movies

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 39:46States there are no great casting what-ifs because the movie just happened, mentions there was apparently huge competition for the JP role

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 46:34Multiple scenes including: opening trailer scene with Cliff Booth introduction and Led Zeppelin, Sunny's audition/car flip challenge, beer scene leading to training montage, Sunny exploiting rules with minor crashes, JP's crash in the rain at Monza, poker game, balcony scene with Brad Pitt's monologue, and final sprint/winning
Chris Ryan▶ 46:51Supports the opening IMAX scene with 'Whole Lotta Love' and ice bath, agrees on the beer scene's beauty, and expresses desire for a racing-only version of the movie
Van Lathan▶ 47:04Agrees with opening scene character introduction, emphasizes the crash scene's effectiveness due to genuine uncertainty about character survival, and notes the film's unpredictability compared to Marvel/IP movies

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:34JP's car crash in slow-mo
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:41Shot of Sonny taking checkered flag with fireworks going off

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:45Mentions having a glaring one but doesn't clearly state it, later discusses Anthony Edwards
Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:08Agrees with the manager pick, acknowledges Samson Ko is good but says it needs to be more sinister
Van Lathan▶ 1:11:01His manager - criticizes it as a nothing part that doesn't commit enough to the character

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:44Sunny is way too old to be an F1 driver - he would be 51-53 years old, when the oldest modern F1 race winner was 39
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:26How many old F1 drivers have had major spinal surgery and never really raced F1 before

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:48Dislikes both 'F1' (too confusing with actual property) and 'Apex' (the original 2023 title), but doesn't offer a specific alternative
Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:05Agrees 'F1' makes it seem too much like an advertisement for the racing league
Van Lathan▶ 1:14:18Hamilton (after Lewis Hamilton)

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:44The English reporter guy who's on cocaine, treating people like shit and asking crazy questions

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:44Don Cavendish — Suggested Don Cavendish (aggressive English reporter) and also mentioned McLaren and Ferrari guys from one scene
Chris Ryan▶ 1:24:48Tobias Menzies — Tobias Menzies (though noted he might be in the movie too much)
Van Lathan▶ 1:24:18The unnamed actor who appears for one scene with three lines then disappears (in reference to Apple money comment)

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:47Joseph Kosinski — F1 for Joseph Kosinski - back to back huge movies makes this his apex. Also thinks it's apex for Tom Cruise.
Van Lathan▶ 1:27:58Joseph Kosinski — Argued that Kosinski's apex might have been Top Gun: Maverick, but seemed to agree this could be it too

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:26No - not better with any of the recurring characters (Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trejo, Mad Dog Russo, Doris Burke, Buffalo Bill, Sam Jackson, Wilford Brimley and the Firm)

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:13Editing or cinematography, mentions 'the guy who invented the cameras'

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:28Grand Prix — Grand Prix (John Frankenheimer movie from 1966)
Van Lathan▶ 1:41:31Days of Thunder

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:58Brad Pitt — Brad Pitt - because he had a rocky last 10 years and needed this comeback after Once Upon a Time
Chris Ryan▶ 1:41:51Discusses how directors could have messed up the film but doesn't give a clear pick between Brad Pitt and Kosinski
Van Lathan▶ 1:41:46Joseph Kosinski — Joe Kosinski - because this means more for the director's career than it does for Brad

Movies Referenced (56)

Days of Thunder (1990)

9 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 5:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

9 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 10:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Grand Prix (1966)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 6:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocky (1976)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 11:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Any Given Sunday (1999)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 29:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Moneyball (2011)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 17:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Black Hawk Down (2001)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 37:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cars 2 (2011)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 44:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Good Will Hunting (1997)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween (1978)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Miami Vice (2006)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 40:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sinners (2025)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Will Merrick

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Luther King

2 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Scott

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Unstoppable, True Romance▶ 10:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Affleck

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Argo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 25:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher Storer

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 40:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Edward Berger

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Conclave▶ 1:42:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Frankenheimer

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Seven Days in May▶ 1:41:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Bellany

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Stardust▶ 2:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (37)

Brad Pitt

35 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith▶ 3:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Damson Idris

22 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for F1: The Movie▶ 13:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Javier Bardem

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Skyfall, No Country for Old Men▶ 11:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

9 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 19:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Seagal

4 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Under Siege 2: Dark Territory▶ 1:32:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jeanette Lee

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 8:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matt Damon

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 18:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Newman

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 19:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Angelina Jolie

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Maleficent, Changeling▶ 20:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heartless Bastards

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Safe Haven▶ 22:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kei Gambit

2 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Rooker

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Guardians of the Galaxy▶ 1:34:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Anthony Bourdain

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Big Short▶ 52:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 44:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ted Jessup

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Ted 2, The Girlfriend Experience▶ 1:40:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗