Rush (2013)

Somebody forgot to write real parts for Olivia Wilde and Alexandra Maria Lara, who might as well be holding umbrellas on the starting grid. This is a two-man movie and it knows it. Chris Hemsworth’s James Hunt is a walking party in a fireproof suit, all hair and charm and bad decisions, and Daniel Brühl’s Niki Lauda is a human spreadsheet who will tell you exactly why your car is slower than his. Their rivalry is the engine, and Ron Howard keeps it humming with races shot so close you can feel the rain on the visor. The voiceover explains things their faces already said. When the story turns serious, Howard handles it with real care and never treats a man’s suffering like a highlight reel. It made $93.3 million worldwide on a reported $38 million, and only $26.9 million of that in the US, which is criminal. An 8.1 because it’s the rare sports movie where you root for both guys. $42.82 says you pick a side early and switch before the credits.

What works: Daniel Brühl’s prickly, precise Lauda and race scenes that put you right in the car.

What doesn’t: The women in both men’s lives are underwritten, and the narration over-explains a rivalry the actors already sell.

Who it’s for: People who don’t care about Formula One yet, and fans of rivalries where both sides have a point.