Gran Turismo

• Directed by Neill Blomkamp
• July 30, 2023 (Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps) / August 10, 2023 (Australia) / August 25, 2023 (US)
• Based on the racing simulation videogame series Gran Turismo and the life of Jann Mardenborough

The absurd yet true story of Jann Mardenborough who is a Gran Turismo player that became a professional race car driver.

It would seem Gran Turismo is an oddity among videogame movies. And that goes beyond it being a quality film. Not only is it designed to market a game series, but it also is based on the life of Jann Mardenborough who was the winner of the GT Academy competition where he beat out a total of 90,000 other people to earn a professional racing contract with Nissan. I was floored when I saw the post film clips and they started talking about the real guy. But as with anything based on a true story, use this story as a starting point rather than your sole source of information.

First of all, you need to realize this is not only a movie but also an expensive bit of marketing to show just how awesome the game is. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. If you got an awesome game and then turn it into an awesome movie to show how awesome the game is then it is wins all around. I think this is gets to that more often than not.

The story is set in motion by GT Academy which was a TV series where Gran Turismo players were given a chance to earn a legit racing contract with Nissan. In the film that what is going on is part of a TV show is rather muted to the point you would be forgiven for forgetting or just not realizing. You might even be a bit mystified by why Nissan agreed to this pitch by Nissan marketing executive Danny Moore (Orlando Bloom) since the TV thing gets kinda lost.

The hero of the story Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) is a bit of a listless dreamer. He has fantasies of being a racer beyond just playing a simulator but no idea how exactly to reach that goal. He has the potential to do it but not exactly the motivation. He’s got the skills and the ability but he just needs a teacher to hone them as well as help getting that direction. Jann’s father (Djimon Hounsou), a former footballer turned miner, thinks his son is wasting his time with the games and tries to give him something more solid.

David Harbour plays GT Academy trainer Jack Salter. Harbour’s Salter is the Obi-Wan to Madekwe’s Luke. Salter is not baggage free as events of his past have caused him to give up on his passion and do little more than be a mechanic for far less capable people who become the villain’s of the story. And as is expected in movies like this, together Jann and Salter each learn something from the other.

Each character has to prove themselves in some way. Jann needs to prove that he can be more than a dreamer. Salter needs to prove that his best days are not behind him. And Moore needs to prove that his outlandish idea can actually work. These elements may not affect the entire world, but they affect the entire world of the characters. It becomes emotionally important with significant real world consequences for all involved.

Gran Turismo is about struggle and triumphs. Jann is not guaranteed victory. He must prove himself by stepping up. And his victory comes by stepping up to the challenge. It doesn’t come by winning a race necessarily. That is just icing on the cake. And much like Rocky and any number of other sports films about an underdog it all comes down to one last shot that is a make-or-break opportunity.

The narrative is sprinkled with heavy human emotion and elements we can all relate to. There are highs and lows that our hero must come back from with one critical moment that puts it all in jeopardy. And this is all wrapped in a story with great visuals and exciting races. Most of those races look to be conducted in the real world and not on keyboards aside from the parts where there are serious accidents. The more real in a film the better as it helps pull you in

This strikes all the right emotional notes and by the time the credits roll you are uplifted. It is about the underdog who pulls out a victory. This is centered around hope giving the story enjoyment and fun. And that’s what movies like this should do.

If I had any complaints in this whole film, it’s that the girlfriend character of Audrey (Maeve Courtier-Lilley) is significantly underdeveloped. She’s a token love interest for Jann and does little more than serve to humanize him. There’s so much potential there to build upon her as a character but Audrey just shows up to give the story a little bit of heart. Courtier-Lilley does good with what she has but it’s not nearly enough to justify her character’s presence.

As videogame movies go Neill Blomkamp did give us a bit of a high point of the genre. There’s been plenty of duds over the decades with people unable to figure out quite how to adapt a videogame into a film. Maybe it’s because there is more truth than digital fiction to this presentation. Maybe it’s because Blomkamp understands how to get something out of a film like this. His District 9 is a classic bit of science fiction that in lesser hands would’ve been little more than cool visuals and weird aliens but had substance below the surface.

Blomkamp made an exciting film in this latest offering with a group of characters that grew and learned something by the end. He told a good story about distinct characters whose decisions and actions had real consequences for them. While it did sell the game series, it did so by telling a compelling story.

Gran Turismo was a very pleasant surprise. It is an uplifting and exciting drama with a strong cast and a great script. And most importantly you’ll be feeling good by the time the credits roll. This hopefully will become a classic underdog story. I highly recommend it!