--- title: "Gran Turismo: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/gran-turismo/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/gran-turismo" critics_score: 51 critics_reviews: 18 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." --- # Gran Turismo (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 51 from 18 reviews: 4 positive, 6 mixed, 8 negative. Most critics agree on the shape of Gran Turismo: the racing works, the film around it does not. The praise clusters on the track sequences and on David Harbour, whose trainer is named again and again as the human element the story otherwise lacks, with Archie Madekwe and Djimon Hounsou mentioned less often. The reservations cluster just as tightly: a formulaic underdog script, thin characters, and product placement so heavy that several reviews describe the film as an advertisement first and a drama second. The spread is wide. Variety calls it Blomkamp’s best film and finds it free of cynicism, and Deadline is similarly warm, while The Telegraph and Slant Magazine find little of value beyond the branding. A smaller group, including Collider and /Film, dissents on the one point most agree on, arguing the races themselves are badly staged and hard to follow. Den of Geek and the Evening Standard also object to how real events are rearranged for drama. ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2023. The film delivers pedal-to-the-metal entertainment despite leaning on genre clichés in its underdog sports story. It stands out for visually blurring the line between simulated gaming and real racing while the lead actors lend a human touch. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/aug/13/gran-turismo-review-game-boy-turned-real-life-motor-sport-whiz-kid-neill-blomkamp-geri-halliwell-orlando-bloom) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2023. The film is a thoroughly entertaining but clichéd sporting underdog story with gripping racing scenes and a surprising sense of personality from good casting and kinetic filmmaking. It succeeds in delivering an authentic feelgood rush despite its IP-extension origins and boilerplate narrative. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/gran-turismo-thoroughly-entertaining-cliched-sporting-underdog-story) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2023. The critic calls it a fun if formulaic thrill-ride. They praise the on-track tension and David Harbour's charismatic performance while noting the predictable sports-movie structure. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/gran-turismo-movie-review/) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 11 August 2023. The critic finds the racing sequences thrilling and praises David Harbour's performance. They criticise the shameless product placement and the inaccurate rearrangement of real events for dramatic effect. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/gran-turismo-review-jann-mardenborough-david-harbour-b1099306.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2023. Neill Blomkamp delivers a high-octane underdog sports drama with electrifying race-car sequences and gripping set pieces, but a badly clichéd narrative away from the track. The energetic endeavour often plays like a feature-length ad for the game, though it should entice car and racing aficionados. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/gran-turismo-review/5184754.article) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 3/5. 8 August 2023. The film is a glossy marketing exercise with heavy product placement that delivers a few minutes of thunder in its thrilling race sequences. The surrogate father-son dynamic between Harbour and Madekwe provides a needed human core amid the corporate shilling and familiar storytelling beats. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/gran-turismo-2023) ## The AV Club — Eric Francisco Rating C. 8 August 2023. The film spins its wheels with rote storytelling and insufficient dramatic tension despite a compelling real-life premise. Strong racing sequences and supporting performances from David Harbour and Djimon Hounsou provide the few bright spots. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/review-of-the-big-screen-playstation-adaptation-gran-t-1850716706) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2023. The critic views it as a marketing exercise heavy on product placement rather than a genuine film. They note warm performances from David Harbour and Djimon Hounsou but criticise the lack of tension and formulaic approach. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/gran-turismo/) ## Radio Times — Terry Staunton Rating 2/5. 9 August 2023. Director Blomkamp is gridlocked between pedestrian biography, edge-of-the-seat action and cynical product placement, with racing sequences that have bite but human elements that are underwhelming. The film struggles to get out of second gear, feeling like extended commercials with a risk of viewer fatigue. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/gran-turismo-review/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 24 August 2023. The movie functions more as an advertisement than a genuine film, lacking texture, joy, and a compelling central character. It offers a numbing reassurance about gaming rather than any meaningful vindication fantasy. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/gran-turismo-review-this-isnt-a-movie-its-an-ad.html) ## Slant Magazine Rating 1/4. 22 August 2023. The film lacks connective tissue between its set pieces but compensates with strong vibes and impressive racing sequences. It prioritizes adrenalized brand extension over coherent storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/gran-turismo-review-neill-blomkamp/) ## The Telegraph Rating 1/5. The film is a purringly complacent insult to the video game, barely getting off the artistic starting line as a shiny corporate exercise. It fails to rise above montages and branding despite some force in one performance. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/gran-turismo-review-sony-playstation/) ## IndieWire — Christian Zilko 8 August 2023. Blomkamp's adaptation never escapes its cynical commercial origins as a video game ad, yet certain triumphant moments still land effectively. The result is a mixed bag that highlights both the story's appeal and its inherent limitations. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/gran-turismo-review-movie-1234893095/) ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh 23 August 2023. The slick, formulaic sports film works as revved-up entertainment thanks to Archie Madekwe’s earnest performance and David Harbour’s grounded presence. Ultimately it feels like an ad for big dreams and cars, with undeniable cynicism undergirding the Nissan publicity stunt. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-08-23/review-gran-turismo-david-harbour-orlando-bloom-neill-blomkamp) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Justin Lowe 8 August 2023. The film delivers dynamic race sequences and visual thrills but suffers from predictable plotting and thin character development. Blomkamp's effects background helps make the action a contender despite its limitations. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/gran-turismo-review-orlando-bloom-david-harbour-neill-blomkamp-1235557511/) ## The New Yorker 28 August 2023. Neill Blomkamp’s video-game adaptation is encrusted with product placement and flagrantly unembarrassed by its commercial obligations. The soul of the film is in the selling, with only David Harbour’s performance providing some abrasion to the smooth absurdities. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/08/28/gran-turismo-movie-review-fremont) ## The New York Times — Nicolas Rapold 24 August 2023. The film turns the true story of a gamer becoming a racer into a standard underdog sports drama. The critic faults the platitudinous script and lack of cinematic excitement or dynamism in the racing sequences. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/24/movies/gran-turismo-review.html) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★☆☆☆. 11 August 2023. The underdog sports movie skids into a long-form PlayStation commercial that is messy and overexposed corporate branding. It amounts to little more than repeated races and montages plastered with messaging. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/gran-turismo-review-pmp83qr7t) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman 8 August 2023. Blomkamp’s best film tells the true story with spontaneous humanistic grace and dazzling racing sequences that put the audience in the driver’s seat. It has an innocence and authenticity rare for the genre, like a Fast and Furious movie made without cynicism. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/gran-turismo-review-1235690478/) ## Deadline — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2023. The critic praises the film as a fresh and engaging racing drama with potent action and well-defined characters, highlighting its positive attitude and the impressive filming of the climax at Le Mans. They single out the story of overcoming doubts and taking risks as particularly provocative. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/08/gran-turismo-movie-review-sony-playstation-neill-blomkamp-1235457299/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2023. The review notes the film is a contradiction as a video game movie and true story, elevated by the strong performances of Archie Madekwe and David Harbour and its focus on fathers and sons rather than just racing. It complains that while good in the moment, it may not be memorable long-term. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/gran-turismo-review-neill-blomkamp/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating C. 8 August 2023. The critic finds the adaptation full of clichés, poor direction making races incomprehensible, and an underwhelming story, though some performances stand out. It fails to capture the excitement of the game or racing films like Rush or Ford v. Ferrari. [Read the review](https://collider.com/gran-turismo-movie-review/) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 2/5. 25 August 2023. The film is a formulaic sports movie that squanders its true story by playing fast and loose with the facts, especially by exploiting a real-life tragedy for dramatic payoff. It settles for surface-level treatment of its themes and mostly shallow characters, though David Harbour gives a standout performance as the trainer and some racing sequences have visual flair. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/gran-turismo-true-story-vs-the-video-game-movie/) ## /Film — Jeremy Mathai Rating 4/10. 8 August 2023. The critic finds the film a frustrating and conventional video game adaptation that fails to capture excitement or stakes, stuck in neutral as a racing biopic. They single out the poorly staged racing sequences and over-reliance on video game conventions as major complaints. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1360087/gran-turismo-movie-review/) ## Polygon — Oli Welsh Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 25 August 2023. The critic sees it as a broad, trashy sports drama that's more brand advertorial than authentic adaptation, leaning into cringeworthy gamer power fantasy and culture war tropes instead of the inspiring real story of games opening doors. Racing scenes are frenetic but repetitive. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23823600/gran-turismo-movie-review-jann-mardenborough/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/gran-turismo.md