Film Review

Ferrari (2023) — Michael Mann ponders masculinity, mortal danger, and fast motors

In the 1950s, the founder of the Ferrari auto company struggles with crises in his business and his marriage…

My nervousness of heights wouldn’t make me the best mountain climber, but I love mountaineering movies. The same goes for motor racing films: I don’t have a driving licence and have zero interest in the real sport, but dramatised versions or intense documentaries like Senna (2010) captivate me in ways I can’t resist.

Not every racing movie roars to victory, of course. For every exhilarating Rush (2013), there’s a Le Mans ’66 / Ford v Ferrari (2019) where the racing sequences deliver basic satisfaction but the off-track drama fails to convince. With Ferrari, then, Michael Mann (Heat) is bold to prioritise character and business dynamics over adrenaline-pumping races. While the film does boast one electrifying race sequence, most of the time it leans instead into the human complexities and corporate machinations behind the Ferrari brand.