Faster

Faster (2003) is a documentary about MotoGP you can watch online on iFILM, narrated by Ewan McGregor and directed by Mark Neel. Two full championship seasons went into making it — Neel embedded with the teams long enough for the cameras to stop feeling like cameras.

Valentino Rossi is at the centre, mid-rise to becoming the sport's defining figure of the 2000s. Max Biaggi is never far behind, furious. McGregor turns out to be useful as a narrator because he's an actual motorcyclist: his interviews with riders, doctors and mechanics carry weight that standard celebrity voiceover doesn't, and when MotoGP veteran Mick Doohan talks about what a 100 mph crash does, McGregor isn't pretending to understand.

The film is blunter than its subject's official promotional material — it shows the physical cost, the team politics and the fine line between a fast lap and a hospital transfer. Good for people who follow the sport, useful as an entry point for those who don't. Stream Faster online on iFILM.