Gran Turismo Review: This True Story Is Game For Cinematic Glory

When certain movie concepts are announced, there’s a moment of sheer disbelief that such an idea could yield an approach that would work. Two such projects on the 2023 calendar have a common genre binding them: video game biopics. Rather than creating a whole cloth narrative based on an open ended game like Tetris or Gran Turismo, filmmakers have opted to instead tell true stories that are adjacent to such gaming properties. In the case of the latter, director Neill Blomcamp’s new film is another project that’s taken what seemed to be a fool’s errand and found a novel way to produce a rousing success. 

Once again, as in the case of Tetris, real life comes through with an inspiring story that feels like a miracle. This time, it's the journey of Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) from gamer to professional race car driver that provides the engine that drives things home. The movie follows Mardenborough as he qualifies for a spot at the Gran Turismo Academy and has to compete with a bunch of hot shot drivers who are after the same thing: scoring an opportunity to become a true blue, Nissan-sponsored sports hero.

Doubt surrounds Jann, as his father (Djimon Hounsou), his competition, and even the people he could be working for (David Harbour and Orlando Bloom) all have their doubts in his abilities. Through hard work and determination, this young man will attempt to do what some see as impossible, or in some cases unsafe, in pursuit of a high-velocity dream.

Gran Turismo has a healthy appreciation for both its real-life racing story and the game that inspired it.

While Gran Turismo is about a true story inspired by game designer/professional driver Kazunori Yamauchi’s legendary racing simulator, Neill Blomkamp and co-writers Jason Hall and Zach Baylin have found a way to occupy a unique crossroads with the film. While never straying from the story of Jann and his driving ambitions, the filmmakers find a way to also pay fitting tribute to the Playstation game series that made it all possible. 

Story devices like embellishing reality with video game overlays, as well as bookending the movie with in-depth looks into how the Gran Turismo simulators are made, give audiences an appreciation for the Sony legacy title. So rather than coming off as a paid promotion for this still-going digital franchise, there’s a purpose to showing off the lengths that the artists go to in order to strive for realism.

That fact only strengthens the actual story of Jann Mardenborough. Trying to prove to the world that the Gran Turismo simulator has prepared him for handling actual performance machines in real world scenarios, Jann’s knowledge proves crucial when it comes to certain junctions in his career. By showing off the dedication of game developer Polyphony Digital and its attention to detail, we believe Archie Madekwe and his conviction as Mardenborough is absolutely correct.

Drawing influence from movies like Rocky and Top Gun, Gran Turismo is thrilling without tipping into blockbuster melodrama.

The team behind Gran Turismo have fully acknowledged that both Rocky and Top Gun are firm influences in the narrative they wanted to weave. It’s an appropriate crossroads to aim for, as the dogged determination of Jann Mardenborough plays to the former, while the danger of the motorsports echoes the latter. Both halves are served well, especially with a lack of the overblown melodrama that can find itself cranked up in the name of theatricality. 

One scene in particular blends both of those halves into a moment that could have been milked for heightened effect. Rather than following the playbook, the script  depicts something like a wreck on race day with almost silent reverence. The score dials down, the action slows, and characters are seen questioning what’s about to happen; and then the full gravity of the scenario kicks in. 

Gran Turismo assembles a roster of actors that know what’s required. You’d think that David Harbour’s mentor/”washed up racer” would be louder and angrier, and that’s something that even Harbour can ground in his skill set. Instead, Harbour's Jack Salter plays disappointment more sternly, with an eye on what needs to happen next. When Salter eventually does get loud, it packs the right sort of punch that’s needed.

Another important example of this sort of restraint at work is the storyline that sees Jann and his father Steve frequently butting heads over the racing dream. Djimon Hounsou plays that parental concern with measured intensity that never moves into a shouting match. Steve Mardenborough has his own ways of trying to convince his son he should do something more “practical,” but neither party turns it into anything more than a hard lined disagreement. 

Another unlikely game-based biopic success has been achieved with the excellent Gran Turismo.

It cannot be stressed enough that Tetris and Gran Turismo were two movies that, upon announcement, inspired quite a few jokes. Again, creating a whole cloth narrative from these titles isn't simple. The fact that both of these projects took a hard pivot into true events influenced by these games only proves that with the right concept, anything really is possible at the movies.

In Gran Turismo, there’s plenty of racing excitement if you’re a moviegoer looking for spectacle, with the right amount of heart and drama that anchors this story into its non-fiction roots. The movie exists in a continuum that recalls films like Days of Thunder and Ford v. Ferrari, showing what it takes to live a life that’s always on the edge of high-velocity disaster. Neill Blomkamp shows that he has a knack for presenting both reality and fantasy with a unique polish. Knowing when to hold back and when to go full throttle, Gran Turismo paces itself in a way that most other tentpole movies and biopics strive to achieve.