--- title: "Ford v Ferrari" year: 2019 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/ford-v-ferrari" fi1m_id: "ford-v-ferrari" imdb_id: "tt1950186" tmdb_id: 359724 wikidata_id: "Q55081822" fi1m_score: 80 critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 10 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-10-06T10:36:43.209505+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Ford v Ferrari (2019) Directed by James Mangold · 2h 33m · MPA PG-13 · Drama, History, Action, Sport ## Identity Ford v Ferrari - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/ford-v-ferrari - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** ford-v-ferrari - **IMDb ID:** tt1950186 - **TMDB ID:** 359724 - **Wikidata ID:** Q55081822 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950186/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/359724, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55081822 **Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 73 from 10 reviews *In a sentence:* All that engineering, and nobody can build a manager Christian Bale can tolerate > Matt Damon and Christian Bale make James Mangold’s racing drama worth the long evening. The driving is gripping and the friendship persuasive, though the corporate interference becomes repetitive long before the script lets it go. ## Synopsis Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and racing driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) become central to Ford’s rivalry with Ferrari. As competition on the track intensifies, the men contend with corporate interference and the demands of working together. Their friendship brings its own competition, with pride and professional judgement complicating the decisions made around them. James Mangold directs a drama that follows the people behind the cars as well as those who control the business. Tracy Letts plays Henry Ford II and Remo Girone plays Enzo Ferrari, with Caitríona Balfe as Mollie Miles and Noah Jupe as Peter Miles. ## Review James Mangold’s *Ford v Ferrari* is a fine racing drama whose familiar writing is mostly overcome by the pleasure of watching its leads. It takes professional skill seriously, allowing pride and technical judgement to matter alongside the competition. The friendship between Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles gives us people worth following through the Ford-Ferrari rivalry. Mangold trusts that capable men can be interesting even when they are being difficult. Matt Damon plays Shelby and Christian Bale plays Miles, and the difference between their performances gives the friendship its humour. Bale plays Miles’s impatience for laughs without losing sight of the driver’s ability. Damon is quieter, and his restraint allows Shelby to remain a convincing partner rather than merely the audience for Bale’s performance. Their competitive pride makes the friendship credible: admiration does not stop either man wanting his own way, or finding his colleague hard work. Phedon Papamichael’s cinematography is particularly effective inside the cars, where we can see what the speed demands of the driver. Editors Andrew Buckland, Dirk Westervelt and Michael McCusker keep the racing easy to follow without making it feel safe. We were tense in the cockpit scenes because Bale makes controlling the car look like continuous, exhausting work. His concentration makes the next decision matter, and the cutting gives us enough time to register that effort. François Audouy’s production design gives the boardroom scenes a convincing formality, which helps the corporate interference feel rooted in a workplace. Buck Sanders and Marco Beltrami’s score adds momentum to the racing, though the driving supplies quite enough excitement of its own. These contributions serve Mangold’s preference for clear, accessible drama, and the film remains easy to follow even when the characters are arguing over expertise. The screenplay by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller becomes less satisfying whenever it returns to the corporate obstruction. We understand why the racers resent being managed long before the script finishes making the case, and each fresh difficulty starts to feel like another demonstration of the same complaint. That leaves some of the people outside the central friendship looking thinly conceived. Ferrari receives too little attention for the rival manufacturer to become interesting in its own right. The underdog story is a slightly awkward fit for a contest between manufacturers, but Mangold keeps the emphasis on the men whose judgement can be overruled. That makes the sporting formula easier to accept: we are rooting for their expertise to count for something. The sentiment is familiar, and the film sometimes insists on it after the actors have already earned our sympathy. At 153 minutes, a little less reinforcement would help. Give it the full evening if a friendship conducted through competition sounds appealing. Damon and Bale make the stretches between races companionable, even when the writing is marking time. There is no need to know what is under the bonnet. *Fi1m score 80, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics find Ford v Ferrari an entertaining, old-fashioned sports drama, with praise concentrated on the racing sequences and the partnership between Christian Bale and Matt Damon. Bale’s eccentric Ken Miles draws particular attention, while the contrast between the leads gives the mechanical and corporate detail a human centre. The reviews generally credit James Mangold with making the on-track action gripping and physically immediate, even when the story follows familiar genre beats. The main disagreement concerns how much the performances and racing compensate for the formula. Reservations cluster around sentimentality, cautious storytelling and stretches that could be tighter, with responses ranging from enthusiastic approval to sharper dissatisfaction. /Film finds the action thrilling but the scenes off the track dull and clichéd. Slant Magazine is more resistant to the nostalgic treatment of the car industry, though it welcomes the cynicism about corporate interference. ## Straight answers **Is Ford v Ferrari worth watching?** *Ford v Ferrari* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a friendship conducted through competition, and we scored it 80. Matt Damon and Christian Bale carry the long stretches between races, and the driving itself is tense and easy to follow. The corporate interference becomes repetitive well before the script lets it go, and at 153 minutes the evening is a long one. **How long is Ford v Ferrari, and what is it rated?** *Ford v Ferrari* runs 2h 33m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and history film. **Where can I watch Ford v Ferrari in the US?** *Ford v Ferrari* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Ford v Ferrari, and is it suitable for children?** *Ford v Ferrari* is a 12A racing drama, and the danger is the speed rather than any violence between people. The cockpit scenes are tense because Bale makes controlling the car look like exhausting work, but nothing in the film is likely to frighten a child old enough for the certificate. Younger children may simply find the boardroom arguments dull. **How does Ford v Ferrari compare to Rush?** *Ford v Ferrari* and [*Rush*](https://film.one/film/rush) are both racing dramas built on contrasting temperaments, but Mangold’s film is about a friendship and Howard’s is about a rivalry. *Rush* is the tenser and the more involving of the two, though its script makes the men too simple; *Ford v Ferrari* has the warmer pairing in Damon and Bale and the more repetitive off-track writing. Choose *Rush* for the racing, *Ford v Ferrari* for the company. **What should I watch after Ford v Ferrari?** After *Ford v Ferrari*, try [*Rush*](https://film.one/film/rush) (2013, Fi1m 82): Another racing rivalry where the men’s contrasting temperaments make the competition matter. Then [*Breaking Away*](https://film.one/film/breaking-away) (1979, Fi1m 86): Cycling, class and friendship give this sporting underdog story its comic warmth; and [*Le Trou*](https://film.one/film/le-trou) (1960, Fi1m 88): Patient attention to skilled manual work makes this prison drama fiercely involving. ### Reviews we read (21) - **Empire**, Nick de Semlyen (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's high-velocity bromance powered by zesty acting and Mangold’s meticulous direction, while highlighting the gripping racing sequences in the final act and the contrasting central performances of Bale and Damon. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/le-mans-66/) - **Radio Times** (4/5): The critic praises the film's playful energy, Bale stealing the show as the eccentric driver, and the exhilarating racing climax that makes it a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/le-mans-66-review/) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it James Mangold’s strongest film yet, a character study strapped into an action flick that explores pride and rivalry between the leads and their corporate bosses. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/11/18/boys-will-be-boys-in-ford-v-ferrari) - **The Times** (80/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a frequently silly but richly entertaining and hoot-worthy romp with a gleefully larger-than-life performance from Christian Bale as Ken Miles. The cockpit scenes, Bale's comic timing and the climactic race sequences are singled out for praise despite tonal oddities. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/le-mans-66-review-far-from-perfect-but-richly-entertaining-w0022glgl) - **Total Film** (70/100, inferred): The critic highlights the full-throttle racing sequences and charismatic performances as strengths, noting that they fuel an otherwise standard sports movie, with the film delivering most effectively in its physical, on-track elements. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/le-mans-66-review-ford-v-ferrari/) - **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (4/3/3): The critic calls it solidly entertaining Friday-night pulp with strong performances, especially Bale's, but notes it is risk-averse and does not push boundaries. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/le-mans-66) - **The Telegraph** (3/5): The critic views the film as an old-fashioned, luxuriantly mounted Hollywood drama about men, cars and masculinity that will appeal to petrolheads, with strong character work from the leads. The visual style and central performances are highlighted positively amid a mixed overall verdict. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/le-mans-66-review-matt-damon-christian-bales-ford-vs-ferrari/) - **Variety** (60/100, inferred): The review notes the story of competitive friendship between the leads but criticizes the lack of focus on Ferrari and corporate meddling as the main conflict, while praising the racing sequences. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/ford-v-ferrari-review-1203319686/) - **Screen Daily**: The critic describes it as a dynamic, precision-engineered crowd-pleaser with visceral racing sequences and appealing performances from Bale and Damon that ground the story in personalities and process. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/ford-v-ferrari-le-mans-66-review/5142775.article) - **Sight and Sound**, Beatrice Loayza: The critic finds the drama formulaic and sentimental but notes that testosterone-fuelled racing scenes and the lead performances salvage it from its duller moments. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/le-mans-66-ford-v-ferrari-review-makeshift-motor-men-drama-that-comes-alive-behind-wheel) - **Slant Magazine**, Jake Cole: The critic finds the film a lethargic epic that plays to nostalgic reveries of the auto industry's golden age but praises its added cynicism about corporate interference undermining individual achievement. It notes strong moments balancing racing drama with behind-the-scenes conflict in the final act. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-ford-v-ferrari-soars-only-as-a-crusade-against-corporate-interference/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic finds the film a slick, thrilling and well-paced sports biopic that effectively frames the Ford-Ferrari rivalry as a clash between mavericks and corporate suits. The race sequences and the sparky central friendship between the leads are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/16/le-mans-66-review-road-race-biopic-fires-on-all-cylinders) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy: The critic calls it a full-bodied and exciting true-life story in which the men behind the wheels are just as dynamic as the machines they drive. Fine lead performances by Christian Bale and Matt Damon anchor a well-built vehicle with strong dramatic and historical underpinnings and a sure directorial hand. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ford-v-ferrari-review-1235888/) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic's Pick): The critic finds the film a pleasant surprise and solid, satisfying real cinema, praising the lead performances by Christian Bale and Matt Damon along with the boardroom and racing drama interplay. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/movies/ford-v-ferrari-review.html) - **Vulture**: The critic hails the film as an old-fashioned rouser with new-fashioned virtuosity, praising Mangold's hyperkinetic yet honorable style that puts viewers inside the cars. It highlights the heroes' physics-savvy expertise and the cannily underdog American premise against corporate interference. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/11/ford-v-ferrari-movie-review-an-old-fashioned-rouser.html) - **Collider**, Adam Chitwood (A-): The critic calls the film a rousing and compelling racing drama that rises above its formulaic structure through Mangold’s sharp execution, masterful craft, and expert performances. Damon and Bale’s chemistry and the outstanding racing sequences are singled out for particular praise. [Read](https://collider.com/ford-v-ferrari-review-christian-bale/) - **Den of Geek**, Richard Jordan (4/5): The critic praises the thrilling racing sequences and the chemistry between Bale and Damon as a likeable double-act in this underdog sports tale, while noting it follows familiar genre beats and could be tighter. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/le-mans-66-review-a-winning-tale-of-ford-v-ferrari/) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond: Mangold delivers a smashing, crowd-pleasing entertainment that excels as both a racing drama and a character study of two mavericks battling corporate suits. The film is praised for its top-notch cast, especially Damon and Bale, along with expert direction, script, and crafts that make it big-screen moviemaking at its finest. [Read](https://deadline.com/video/ford-v-ferrari-review-matt-damon-christian-bale-james-mangold/) - **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (7 out of 10): The critic finds the film thrilling and exciting whenever it is on the track but dull and clichéd off it, with a paint-by-numbers script. They single out the cast performances, especially Bale’s energetic turn as Miles, for praise amid the mixed verdict. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/568994/ford-v-ferrari-review/) - **Film Stories**, Mark Harrison: The critic calls it 2019’s most purely exhilarating night out at the cinema, an old-fashioned rip-roaring studio movie elevated by Mangold’s direction. They single out the superb racing scenes and the winning double-act of Damon and Bale for particular praise. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/le-mans-66-review-damon-bale-and-ford-v-ferrari/) - **The Wrap**: Mangold’s film is a joyful celebration of the kind of big-studio, character-driven movie with spectacular racing sequences that Hollywood too rarely makes anymore. It singles out Bale’s transformative performance as the volatile driver Ken Miles and the chemistry between the leads for making the story sing. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/ford-v-ferrari-film-review-christian-bale-and-matt-damon-feel-the-need-for-speed/) ## Details - **Director:** James Mangold - **Director:** James Mangold - **Screenplay:** John-Henry Butterworth, Jez Butterworth - **Writer:** Jason Keller - **Cinematography:** Phedon Papamichael - **Editor:** Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland, Dirk Westervelt - **Music:** Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders - **Production design:** François Audouy - **Costume design:** Daniel Orlandi - **Producer:** James Mangold, Jenno Topping, Peter Chernin - **Cast:** Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby; Christian Bale as Ken Miles; Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca; Caitríona Balfe as Mollie Miles; Josh Lucas as Leo Beebe; Noah Jupe as Peter Miles; Tracy Letts as Henry Ford II; Remo Girone as Enzo Ferrari - **Runtime:** 2h 33m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 15 November 2019 - **Genres:** Drama, History, Action, Sport - **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2019) - **Budget:** $98 million - **Box office:** $226 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3h9Z89U9ZA ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $19.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2020: Best Picture (nominated); Best Film Editing (won); Best Sound Editing (won) ## If you liked this - *Rush* (2013), Fi1m 82: Another racing rivalry where the men’s contrasting temperaments make the competition matter. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/rush.md) - *The World's Fastest Indian* (2005): For mechanical ingenuity and stubborn ambition, with a gentler leading presence. - *Breaking Away* (1979), Fi1m 86: Cycling, class and friendship give this sporting underdog story its comic warmth. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/breaking-away.md) - *Le Trou* (1960), Fi1m 88: Patient attention to skilled manual work makes this prison drama fiercely involving. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/le-trou.md) - *Seven Samurai* (1954), Fi1m 95: Difficult professionals learn to work together, with action grounded in individual skill. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/seven-samurai.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/ford-v-ferrari