Close Menu
  • 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
    HITMAN World of Assassination - Signature Edition

    ‘HITMAN World Of Assassination’ Struggles On Switch 2

    06/16/2025
    One Piece But Why Tho 5

    Fathers of ‘One Piece’: Powerful Bonds, Legacy, and Found Family

    06/13/2025
    Elena Street Fighter 6 But Why Tho

    Elena Brings Style And Versatility To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    06/06/2025
    Lune and Sciel from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

    Lune, Sciel, And The Romance Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Fails To Realize

    06/05/2025
    Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro

    Everything To Know About Eve Macarro In ‘Ballerina’

    06/05/2025
  • Star Wars
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
  • Summer Game Fest
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

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later
8.5

REVIEW: ’28 Years Later’ Is Tense Until The Last Three Minutes

06/18/2025
Elio in Pixar's Elio
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Elio’ Gets Lost In The Stars But Mostly Finds Its Way Home

06/17/2025
Diablo (2025) promotional key art
7.0

REVIEW: ‘Diablo’ Keeps The Mid-Budget Action Goodness Going

06/16/2025
Deep Cover (2025) key art with Nick Mohammed, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Orlando Bloom
6.0

REVIEW: Orlando Bloom Gives His All In ‘Deep Cover’

06/15/2025
Our Times But Why Tho
3.5

REVIEW: ‘Our Times’ Wastes A Good Premise On A Bad Plot

06/14/2025
Red Blood Cell and White Cell in Cells at Work
9.0

REVIEW: ‘Cells at Work’ Does A Beloved Anime Justice

06/13/2025
TRENDING POSTS
Taecyeon and Seohyun in The First Night with the Duke Episodes 1-2
8.5
TV

REVIEW: ‘The First Night With The Duke’ Episodes 1-2

By Sarah Musnicky06/12/2025

The bar is set pretty high with The First Night With The Duke Episodes 1-2. While exposition-heavy, it is a delightfully silly watch.

Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered promotional art from Bandai Namco
6.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered’

By Matthew Glenn06/14/2025

Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered is runs on nostalgia and great Gundam piloting, but there is more left to be desired.

Y'shtola in the FFXIV Commander Deck - Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy Interviews

Magic Designer Explains The Challenge Of Picking A Face For The FFXIV Commander Deck

By Kate Sánchez06/11/2025Updated:06/11/2025

FFXIV Commander Deck pulls highlights core characters and mechanics, with Y’shtola as its Commander. But building the deck, wasn’t easy.

Eric McCormack in Hell Motel
7.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘Hell Motel’ Takes A Stab At True Crime

By Sarah Musnicky06/17/2025Updated:06/17/2025

Hell Motel blurs genres with this murder mystery, true crime slasherfest. While it’s not the team’s best work, it’s still fun.

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