Gran Turismo Movie Review — From Gamer to Racer?

I recently watched Gran Turismo (2023) on Netflix after a coworker recommended it. Honestly, this movie wasn’t even on my radar at first. Although I’m a fan of racing movies, a film based on a video game didn’t grab my attention—especially since I stopped playing Gran Turismo after the PS4 and switched to Xbox and Forza. But I decided to give it a shot, and here’s Gran Turismo Movie Review.

🎥 Quick Overview

Title: Gran Turismo (2023)
Director: Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium)
Writers: Jason Hall, Zach Baylin, Alex Tse
Producers: Doug Belgrad, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Dana Brunetti
Runtime: 2 hours, 14 minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Cast:
- Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough
- David Harbour as Jack Salter
- Orlando Bloom as Danny Moore
- Djimon Hounsou as Steve Mardenborough

Fun Fact: The real Jann Mardenborough performed his own stunt driving in the film and has competed in over 400 races.

🏎️ My First Impressions

The film does a good job of portraying Gran Turismo as a simulator, not just a video game. That’s something fans will respect, and the visuals were definitely a high point—right up there with Forza.

However, the runtime felt excessive. Some scenes dragged on too long, while others felt rushed. The emotional father-son subplot between Jann and his dad was barely developed and didn’t add much to the story. The core premise—turning gamers into real-life racers—felt far-fetched, even though it’s based on real events.

One frustrating moment: they swapped Jann into a completely different car late in the film without showing any new training, which didn’t feel realistic at all.

🎭 Acting and Characters

The acting was decent, with familiar faces like Djimon Hounsou, David Harbour, and Orlando Bloom. They did the best they could, but the script didn’t give them much emotional depth to work with.

🎨 Visuals and Style

There were some creative visual sequences that blended the game’s interface with real-world racing—those were pretty fun. The highlight for me was seeing the Nissan GTR, my dream car, dominate the screen. But again, switching vehicles near the end with no transition didn’t make sense.

⚖️ Final Verdict

Watching this on Netflix was fine. Had I seen it in theaters, I probably would’ve been disappointed. If you’re expecting a deep racing story or strong performances, this isn’t the movie for you. But if you’re into cool visuals and fast cars, it might be worth streaming.

🚗 Pros and Cons

✅ Pros:
- Impressive racing visuals
- Spotlight on the Nissan GTR
- Interesting take on GT Academy
❌ Cons:
- Overlong runtime
- Weak character development
- Unrealistic transitions between cars