Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story, directed by Neil Blomkamp at Sony Productions, and starring Archie Madweke, Darren Barnet, Geri Halliwell, Djimon Hounsou, Orlando Bloom, and David Harbour, came to theaters on August 25, 2023 (Rotten Tomatoes). It provides insight on something many of the watchers cannot experience personally: racing professionally on a racetrack. Archie Madweke, who plays Jann Mardenborough in the movie, portrays a young-adult who plays a racing game called “Gran Turismo” for several hours a day in his house. His dad, Steve Mardenborough, criticizes him for it, and asks him when he will get a ‘real’ job. However, because Jann is so good at Gran Turismo and doesn’t give up hope, he goes on to race in the GT Academy. Full of 10 Gran Turismo players from across the world just like Jann, the GT Academy has tough challenges each driver must pass, including a race against each other to decide who wins the whole academy. After a tough start to the academy, including crashing out with the academy lead in the passenger seat, he wins the academy and races for Team Nissan, getting 3rd at the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. Being based off of a true story, the directors wanted to show the audience why Jann winning was so revolutionary. The directors wanted to show that even though Jann played racing games online and didn’t have any real experience, his passion and dedication led him to become a racing driver, inspiring many youth today. The movie encapsulates the theme of perseverance because of Jann’s capabilities to never give up and pursue his lifelong dream.
During one of his races, Jann crashes out and flips his car, only injuring himself but killing a spectator. He did not want to go back into racing because of the accident, wanting to quit forever. Jann’s engineer, Jack Salter, played by David Harbour, also had a freak accident which forced him to retire. However, Salter used this experience to motivate Jann to stay in the racing field, further emphasizing how one should believe in themselves.
Gran Turismo, inspired by the screenwriters and directors wanting to share the amazing story of Jann Mardenborough, is a must-watch for anyone interested in racing at all. A major theme of this movie is to never give up, no matter the circumstance. It is extremely similar to the movie: Ford vs. Ferrari, another classic. Overall, this movie is a 5 out of 5, ranking at the top of the scale, and should undoubtedly be watched by anyone interested in it.