Ford v Ferrari

Ford v Ferrari is the most exhilarating racing film ever made — a true story about Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles's quest to build a car fast enough to beat Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. James Mangold directs with muscular confidence, and the racing sequences are so visceral that audiences reported gripping their armrests. The film understands that the real race is not against Ferrari but against the corporate bureaucracy of Ford Motor Company.

Matt Damon plays Shelby as a Texas charmer who speaks the language of both gearheads and boardrooms, navigating the politics of Henry Ford II's ego with a gambler's instinct. Christian Bale is extraordinary as Ken Miles — a brilliant, prickly, uncompromising driver who cannot play the corporate game and does not care to learn. Their partnership is the film's engine: Shelby protects Miles from the suits, and Miles delivers on the track.

The Le Mans sequence occupies the final 40 minutes and is a masterclass in sustained tension. Mangold uses practical effects and real cars wherever possible, and the sound design puts you inside the cockpit at 200 mph. The film's most devastating moment is not a crash but a corporate decision — Ford ordering Miles to slow down at the finish line for a photo opportunity, costing him the official victory. It is a perfect metaphor for every artist who has been betrayed by the institution they served.