F1’s success brings spotlight back to director’s Netflix flop

F1, motor racing drama starring Brad Pitt became one of the biggest surprise hits of the summer. 

The film crossed the finish line first, earning the title of the biggest non-franchise movie of 2025 so far and Apple’s top-performing release. 

It is also expected to arrive on Apple TV Plus later this year.

With the spotlight now on F1, attention turned to its director, Joseph Kosinski. He was already known for leading big titles like Top Gun Maverick and Oblivion.

Many fans noticed that the sports thriller carried the same sharp look and fast-paced style as Maverick.

But in between those hits, Kosinski directed Netflix Original that slipped through the cracks. 

The film, Spiderhead, was released in June 2022 just a month after Maverick hit cinemas. 

Despite having strong cast including Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett, it did not get well with viewers.

Spiderhead followed a story of futuristic prison where inmates were part of drug experiments. 

While the actors were praised and the visuals stood out, the storyline left many bored and it scored only 39 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with an even lower audience score.

However, the flopped flick was based on a short story by George Saunders and written by the team behind Deadpool and Zombieland.