Hitting the Apex

The documentary follows the top class of motorcycle racing and six riders. Valentino Rossi has long been at the top and his rivals are coming up to beat him. Casey Stoner rides a hard machine in a way nobody else can. Dani Pedrosa is small and fast; injuries do not leave him alone. Jorge Lorenzo is calculating and cool. Marc Márquez arrives very young and upsets the balance. The sixth name is Marco Simoncelli. The narrative proceeds race by race; technical detail, tyre choice and rev limits are described directly. Mark Neale directs. Brad Pitt narrates. Its footage comes largely from on-bike cameras and trackside; recordings from the riders' helmets are used. Its heaviest section is Simoncelli's death; he was killed during a race in Malaysia in 2011 and the documentary does not soften it. The narrative takes the risk in the sport as a direct subject; injury statistics and the process of returning after a crash are shown. The riders' own accounts are its main material and team managers speak too. It follows the technical changes as well; rule changes and engine limits are inside the narrative. Its limit is scope; because it focuses on six names the rest of the sport is not visible. Who it is for: viewers who like motorsport and sports documentary. Who it is not for: the technical detail is dense, it is closed to anyone unfamiliar, and some sections are upsetting.