Brad Pitt’s F1 Film Is Making Waves—But Don’t Overlook This 1990 Tom Cruise Racing Classic By Top Gun’s Director!

Brad Pitt’s upcoming F1 movie, directed by Joseph Kosinski, is generating buzz for its immersive, POV-style racing sequences, reminiscent of the latter’s work in Top Gun: Maverick. But 35 years before this, Tom Cruise and original Top Gun director Tony Scott had already taken a similar route. The duo’s 1990 film Days of Thunder brought the adrenaline of NASCAR to the big screen, marking one of Cruise’s last action-heavy roles before he temporarily shifted gears into dramatic territory. This exhilarating actioner not only spotlights high-speed thrills but also takes us back to the early ’90s zeitgeist of racing, making it a must-watch for motorsport enthusiasts.

Days of Thunder Plot: Cole Trickle’s Rise in NASCAR

Days of Thunder became Tom Cruise’s third sports film after All the Right Moves and The Color of Money. The plot witnesses the Edge of Tomorrow star getting into the gear of Cole Trickle, a young and ambitious open-wheel racer — much like Pete “Maverick” Mitchell — as he transitions to the NASCAR circuit. Recruited by car dealership tycoon Tim Daland, Cole teams up with veteran crew chief Harry Hogge to scale the challenges of stock car racing.

As Cole adapts to the newfangled world of professional motorsports, a fierce competition from star driver Rowdy Burns and rookie Russ Wheeler escalates. A severe crash sidelines Cole, leading to a romantic relationship with neurosurgeon Dr. Claire Lewicki during his recovery.