July promises to be a huge month for movies, but there are still a couple of noteworthy titles heading our way this month in F1: The Movie and Pixar's Elio. Both will attract very different audiences, and based on recent box office tracking data, both could underperform.
F1: The Movie's trailers have been criticised by Formula 1 fans for a lack of realism (many of the drivers haven't seemed overly keen either), but with 85% based on 60 reviews, all signs point to it being a win for Apple TV+, Warner Bros., and F1.
The Hollywood Reporter writes, "Of course, there are some unrealistic elements in F1, bits that might have sticklers raising an eyebrow, but the film doesn’t feel any less dramatic than the real thing." Empire, meanwhile, concludes, "Joseph Kosinski has done it again. F1 combines unparalleled access, pioneering filmmaking and moving redemption arcs to deliver an exhilarating cinematic experience.:
"F1: The Movie follows the sports movie playbook almost perfectly," adds IGN, "finding ways to be just that much better at nearly every stage of its 156-minute runtime – creating a super fun racecar flick in the process that eventually finds its way to victory lane."
The BBC's review counters with, "The biggest issue with F1, though, is not its insistence on showing its leading man in a flattering light, but its equivalent, fawning attitude towards Formula One itself."
With a rumoured $300 million budget, it remains to be seen whether positive reviews are enough to help make F1: The Movie one of the biggest hits of the summer (which it needs to be if it hopes to turn a profit). Jurassic World Rebirth arrives the following week, but F1: The Movie will have premium screens like IMAX until Superman is released.
Before that movie races into theaters, Pixar's Elio arrives this weekend. The studio is reportedly set to focus on sequels moving forward after a string of box office disappointments, but this is another original tale that, so far, hasn't been generating much buzz.
There's some good news today, though, as Elio has 84% based on 55 reviews. It sounds like a solid effort from Pixar, albeit one that may not leave much of a lasting impact (regardless, it's still in "Certified Fresh" territory).
According to Variety, "While not as original as 'Wall-E' and the 'Toy Story' movies, the animation studio’s latest reminds that sub-par Pixar is still smarter and more satisfying than most of what's out there." The Guardian calls Elio "an entertaining bit of summer fun."
IndieWire was less keen. "Elio isn’t a bad time at the theaters — it’s pretty to look at, charming enough, and frequently funny," the site explains. "But by shying away from investing in where its main character is coming from, the movie makes his galactic adventures feel a bit weightless."
"Elio is a spirited, engaging 98 minutes," reveals Vanity Fair. "But its tired attempts at the gentle profundity of old—that Wall-E wallop, that Up uplift—are emblematic of a studio that’s running out of ways to whimsically allegorize human experience."
Elio arrives in theaters on June 20, with F1: The Movie following on June 27.