Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
The inside story of six fighters – six of the fastest motorcycle racers of all time – and of the fates that awaited them at the peak of the sport. It's the story of what is at stake for all of them: all that can be won, and all that can be lost, when you go chasing glory at over two hundred miles an hour – on a motorcycle. But this documentary is also an opportunity to understand the passionate relationship that links the pilots, the technical teams and the legions of fans to the spirit of GP Moto.
Hitting the Apex is a well-crafted MotoGP documentary that benefits enormously from stunning on-bike and trackside cinematography, capturing the visceral speed and danger of Grand Prix motorcycle racing with real intensity. The film weaves together the stories of six elite racers — including Marco Simoncelli, Jorge Lorenzo, and Valentino Rossi — with genuine emotional stakes, particularly around tragedy and rivalry. The narrative structure is solid if somewhat conventional for the sports documentary genre, following a familiar arc of triumph, camaraderie, and loss. The 'acting' dimension here refers to the authenticity of the subjects on camera, who are generally compelling and candid. The ending carries genuine emotional weight given the fatal accidents woven into the story, though it doesn't fully transcend the genre's typical closing beats. Novelty is moderate — it is a distinguished entry in the sports doc space but follows recognizable documentary conventions rather than breaking new ground formally.