How To Watch Gran Turismo At Home

Neill Blomkamp's 2023 film "Gran Turismo" tells the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a car-obsessed video game addict who loves playing Sony's popular racing simulator "Gran Turismo." Gaming experts have said that "Gran Turismo" is one of the most accurate racing games ever made — it incorporated a car's multiple tiny mechanical subtleties — and Mardenborough became so good at it, that he was recruited by a Sony/Nissan marketing firm to train to race cars in the real world. Nissan's gimmicky GT Academy was established in 2008, and the world's best gamers competed and trained in real car-racing challenges there. Mardenborough eventually participated in real-life races. 

In the film, perhaps naturally, Jann (played by Archie Madekwe) is also a "Rocky"-like underdog who works his way through the skepticism of his friends, family, and coach to win the Big Race at the end. The film takes a lot of liberties with the actual events of Mardenborough's life and with the GT Academy, but that doesn't mean it's not an exhilarating film. David Harbour played Mardenborough's coach/trainer Jack Salter, and he gives a performance that nearly transcends the material. 

"Gran Turismo" was released in theaters on August 25, and it is already available for viewing at home. After you're done playing the latest game in the "Gran Turismo" series (that would be "Gran Turismo 7" for the PlayStation 5), you can hunker down with Blomkamp's movie. Here's where to see it

As of this writing, "Gran Turismo" is still playing in some theaters. 

It is also available to rent, in both low and high definitions, on AppleTV+, Amazon, the Google Play store, YouTube, Vudu, the Microsoft store, and through Spectrum. The UHD, HD, and SD versions all cost $19.99. Each of the same stores (sans Spectrum) also offers the film for purchase for $24.99. Same deal: the price is the same whether you want it in UHD, HD, or SD presentations. 

One can't buy a physical copy of "Gran Turismo" until November 7. When it comes out, it will be available in a Blu-ray/digital download combo pack for $24.99, and a 4K Ultra-HD version for $29.99. Those who still have a working DVD player (and I assume that's most of us) can get a DVD/digital download combo for $19.99. 

It is the personal bias of this author that physical media is going to be the best path to take. While one will have to wait over a month to get it, a hard copy will always be more reliable than a digital copy. Given that the price is pretty much the same, one might want to pre-order a disc instead of renting. If, however, you were timing a "Gran Turismo" game-and-movie party, then I understand if there is an element of urgency involved. If you are of legal drinking age, go ahead and try a Gran Turismo cocktail while you're at it. 

The Ultra-HD 4K disc of "Gran Turismo" contains the usual raft of features. It will contain some of the usual types of features, as well as several making-of documentary films, including: 

• Deleted and extended scenes
• "The Engine: Driving the Visuals"
• "The Pit Crew: The Action & Stunts"
• "The Garage: The Amazing Automobiles"
• "The Wheels: The Fast-Acting Cast"
• "The Plan: The True Story of Jann Mardenborough"

The Blu-ray edition will have the same features, although the DVD edition will only have "The Wheels" and "The Plan."

The downloadable version of "Gran Turismo" available through Amazon Prime will also be what is called a Bonus X-Ray Edition. This is an optional feature that displays small windows and captions over the movie giving small pieces of trivia in real time. It might include production anecdotes or actors' filmographies. This feature is, I assume, invented for viewers who frequently pause movies in order to look up the names of certain actors. 

"Gran Turismo" isn't part of a larger film series, but it is the latest film to be based on a video game. Ever since the ascendency of video games in the 1980s, Hollywood has struggled with presenting the new medium in a flattering or interesting light. Some filmmakers attempted to adapt the games themselves into cinematic dramas, mostly to mixed results. For years, Paul W.S. Anderson's 1995 film "Mortal Kombat" was held up as the best video game adaptation, which is, upon consideration, a very sad thing. Other filmmakers elected to explore video games by telling stories of their players. 

It would be interesting to trace the evolution of the latter. So while this isn't an official lineup of films by any means, it would make for a fun project at home. Prior to "Gran Turismo," one should see: 

• "WarGames" (1983)
• "The Last Starfighter" (1984)
• "The Wizard" (1989)
• "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" (2007)
• "Pixels" (2015)

Of those, "The Last Starfighter" might be the closest to "Gran Turismo" in concept, as it's about how honing video game skills can actually lead to a practical application. Although in Nick Castle's film, the main character is being trained by games to fight in an intergalactic war. The same goes for "Pixels," about adults who are hired by the government to fight aliens who have taken the form of 1980s arcade games. 

"WarGames" is about a kid who thinks he's playing a game, but who is actually instigating a real-world nuclear crisis. "The Wizard," little more than a 100-minute Nintendo commercial, follows kids who hit the road for a video game tournament. "The King of Kong" is a documentary about "Donkey Kong" champions.