Based on the unbelievable, inspiring true story of a team of underdogs - a struggling, working-class gamer, a failed former race car driver, and an idealistic motorsport exec - who risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world. Director Neill Blomkamp is back with this biographical sports movie that I knew absolutely nothing about going in, nor did I ever play the racing simulation game it’s based on. Every year, there’s a movie that admittedly wasn’t on my viewing radar that comes along and surprises the hell out of me. Low and behold, here in 2023, Gran Turismo is that movie. Firstly, this isn’t a story about the video game, as the racing simulation it’s based upon merely serves as a backdrop for the actual true story narrative. The story revolves around Jann Mardenborough played by Archie Madekwe who’s a struggling working class gamer that aspires to take his racing simulator skills to the next level and compete in a real life race. Madekwe does a great job as Jann, as he brings a lot of relatability and passion to this underdog character.
Jann’s father played by Djimon Hounsou casts doubt on Jann’s ability to make a realistic career out of applying video game skills to professional racing and their dynamic is genuinely heartwarming and engaging, especially for anyone who’s had a similar relationship with a parent that didn’t believe in them for striving towards a lofty almost unattainable goal. Where this movie really shines though, is in its strong supporting cast led by David Harbour and Orlando Bloom. Harbour truly steals the show as gruff retired racer Jack Salter who acts as a trainer to Jann and the other members of the Gran Turismo Academy. Salter continuously shows concern for the abilities of the students to use their GT skills as a means to race professionally, and this in turn makes way for a physically demanding boot camp trial. Orlando Bloom as Motorsport marketing executive Danny Moore provides an optimistic counter perspective to Salter’s apprehensive viewpoint of putting gamers into real race cars and their different approaches to this issue make for some fairly humorous moments during the training camp portion. Of course, you have the typical arrogant hot shots competing with Jann in both the training camp and actual races, which has just the right amount of beef without falling into cheesy territory.
Over the duration of the film, Jann has a relationship with this girl and while it’s easy to tell where that’s going, it’s still an endearing part of the story that just about any guy who aspires for greatness can identify with. Although I can’t speak to the accuracy of how the GT simulation translates to film, the techniques of incorporating elements from the game create for immersive and edge of your seat racing sequences, particularly during the climactic 24 Hours of Le Mans segment. You as the viewer genuinely do feel the pressure on Jann as he must make split second decisions that can either win him a race, or cost him his life or even the life of someone else. There are some great song choices here including Paranoid by Black Sabbath and specifically Orinoco Flow by Enya which Jann listens to in order to relax before a race. Is it a movie with standard sports biopic story beats and predictable resolutions? Definitely, though that’s not a bad thing whatsoever.
It is very much “Rocky with racing,” but the formula works due to likable performances and solid direction from Blomkamp. Overall, while it’s not fully devoid of true story sports biopic clichés, Neill Blomkamp’s Gran Turismo is a shockingly well made racing movie, boosted by energetic performances specifically from David Harbour, and an inspirational message of never giving up on your dreams, no matter the obstacles that must be endured to achieve it. Being a movie based off of a video game, Gran Turismo may very well be my favorite film adapted from a video game to date. Car lovers, you’re not going to want to skip this one.
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