Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Ford V Ferrari’ Is a Adrenaline-Charged Period Piece

REVIEW: ‘Ford V Ferrari’ Is a Adrenaline-Charged Period Piece

Collier "CJ" JenningsBy Collier "CJ" Jennings11/18/20194 Mins ReadUpdated:11/05/2021
Ford V Ferrari
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

FORD V FERRARI

Ford V Ferrari, directed by James Mangold (Logan, 3:10 To Yuma), focuses on the events leading up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans Race in 1966. After a proposed merger with rival car manufacturer Ferrari goes south, Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) vows to make a racecar that will defeat Ferrari at Le Mans. To do so, he enlists the help of former racecar driver and automobile designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon). In turn, Shelby asks hot-headed driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to act as a test driver. While developing what will eventually become the Ford GT40, Shelby and Miles face a number of challenges, including corporate interference from Ford’s senior vice president Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas), several technical issues including malfunctioning brakes and engines, and Miles’s own volcanic temper.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

What sets Ford V Ferrari apart from other racing movies is the fact that it focuses less on the titular rivalry between companies and more on the friendship between Shelby and Miles. This is mostly due to Damon and Bale’s layered, compelling performances and the work that screenwriters Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller put into writing scenes between the duo. Damon’s slick, almost effortlessly charming performance as Shelby is the perfect contrast to Bale’s ill-tempered, maverick turn as Miles.

Perhaps the best example is a scene early on in the film during a racing competition. When Shelby assures potential investors from Porsche that Miles is a “puppy dog”, Miles is engaged in a heated argument with an official over the trunk space of his car. The sequence finally ends with Miles grabbing a hammer and violently hammering the door of his trunk to make more space, and then hurling a wrench at Shelby when the other man brings up the Porsche sponsorship (Porsche was a German formed company and Miles, who fought in World War II, had a very low opinion of Germany). There are also several heartfelt scenes, including Miles comforting Shelby after the Le Mans ’66 race took an unexpected turn. It’s rare for a film to have a male friendship this raw and honest, so kudos to Mangold, Damon, and Bale for making this friendship feel tangible and emotional.

The rest of the cast shines as well. Lett portrays Ford II as a prideful, often spiteful business owner who is determined to make sure that his company is the best. Lucas is appropriately slimy as Beebe, and Caitriona Balfe and Noah Jupe add an extra dash of humanity to the film as Miles’s wife Mollie and his son Peter. The surprise performance though belongs to Jon Berenthal as Ford’s vice president Lee Iacocca. It’s Iaacoca who sets the events of the film in motion, as he hires Shelby and supports him through the film. Berenthal’s natural charm and swagger are on full display as he manages to win over nearly everyone he comes into contact with to his way of thinking.

Where Ford V Ferrari really kicks into gear is its racing sequences, particularly the third act which mostly takes place during Le Mans ’66. Mangold’s tendency to pull in and focus on his actors’ faces will make you feel like you’re in the driver’s seat with Miles and the other drivers. Every crash, every turn, every engine roaring to life has an impact and the audience will stay on the edge of their seats for every minute of it.

The most heart-stopping sequence doesn’t even take place during a race. While Miles is testing the latest iteration of the GT40, the brakes stall out, and the car slams into a ditch. A second later it catches fire-with Miles still inside! My jaw dropped and I thought, “They can’t kill him off now, right? I know this is based on a real story, but holy shit.” Shortly after, Miles did emerge, being sprayed down, but I still nearly had a heart attack. That’s how good Mangold is.

Ford V Ferrari is a stellar character drama, driven by a pair of amazing performances and white knuckle racing sequences. I highly recommend watching it, especially in IMAX.

Ford V Ferrari is now playing in theaters everywhere.

Ford V Ferrari
  • 10/10
    Rating - 10/10
10/10

TL;DR

Ford V Ferrari is a stellar character drama, driven by a pair of amazing performances and white knuckle racing sequences. I highly recommend watching it, especially in IMAX.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Doctor Who Holiday Special,’ Volume 1
Next Article REVIEW: ‘No Guns Life,’ Episode 6 – “Hero”
Collier "CJ" Jennings
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.

Related Posts

Choi Gyu-ri, Shin Eun-Soo in Love Untangled
7.5

REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

08/31/2025
Austin Butler in Caught Stealing
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Caught Stealing’ Marks An Exciting Pivot for Darren Aronofsky

08/27/2025
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O' Donahue in the film Honey Don't
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Honey Don’t!’ Is A Genius Work Of Subversion And Fantasy Fulfillment

08/25/2025
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses But Why Tho
5.0

 REVIEW: ‘The Roses’ Lacks A Thorny Edge

08/25/2025
Mert Ramazan Demir in Abandoned Man
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Abandoned Man’ Lacks Depth In Its Take On Betrayal

08/22/2025
Ne Zha 2 promotional still from a24
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Is One Of The Most Epic Feats Of Animation

08/21/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here