Gran Turismo
Year: 2023
Rating: PG-13
Length: 134 minutes / 2.23 hours
When I first saw the trailers for Gran Turismo (2023), I had my doubts. I know video game adaptations are in vogue right now, but I couldn’t figure out how a plot about a realistic racing simulation game would even work. On top of this, I had become skeptical of Neill Blomkamp’s directing, with his last few movies being somewhat hit or miss. Fortunately, once someone close to me—who doesn’t usually watch video game adaptations—recommended this film to me, I figured I should give it a shot. I’m glad I did.
What helped set Gran Turismo apart from other video game adaptations is like how Tetris (2023) made a movie about a puzzle game that used simple blocks. Neither Tetris nor Gran Turismo has any plot in their respective games, but the stories around and featuring these games are much more interesting. I’m reminded of the Far Side comic where the parents are fantasizing about the job opportunities for their son who is good at video games. Basically, Gran Turismo is the real-life equivalent of that concept, met with realistic amounts of skepticism from parents and racecar drivers alike.
Where Gran Turismo doesn’t quite measure up is in its narrative. I’ve recently come to love “racecar sports movies” like Ford v Ferrari (2019) and F1: The Movie (2025), so Gran Turismo felt right up that alley. The trick is how much of the movie is about racing and how much is about sports. With Gran Turismo, the underdog aspect that’s usually pushed in other sports movies takes most of the focus, as nobody had ever become good at driving a fast car exclusively from playing video games. Still, Gran Turismo is entertaining for anyone, regardless if they enjoy racing games.
A racing movie that leans too heavily on the sports aspects, I give Gran Turismo 4.0 stars out of 5.
