Drive (2011)
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A stoic stunt driver finds himself entangled in a high-stakes heist after a neighbor's husband is released from prison.
The story
In Los Angeles, a man known as 'The Driver' works as a mechanic, stunt double, and criminal-for-hire getaway driver. He develops a close bond with his new neighbor, Irene, and her young son, Benicio. The peace is shattered when Irene's husband, Standard, is released from prison. To settle a debt with a dangerous local gangster, Standard and his accomplice plan a heist at a nearby pawn shop. The Driver agrees to act as the getaway driver for the pair. However, the operation quickly spirals out of control, leading to a violent confrontation that endangers the lives of everyone involved, including the Driver and the innocent family he has grown to care for.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The Driver, a man of few words, works as a stunt driver and getaway driver in Los Angeles. He becomes close to his neighbor Irene and her son. When her husband, Standard, is released from prison, he is forced by a gangster named Cook to rob a pawn shop to pay off debts. The Driver agrees to drive them. During the heist, Standard is killed by the shop owner, and the Driver must navigate a pursuit. They hide at a motel where the Driver discovers that the accomplice, Blanche, intended to steal the money for herself. After a violent confrontation with gunmen, the Driver secures the $1 million. He then faces threats from the mobster Nino, who wants the money. After a series of violent encounters, including the death of the hitman sent for him and the murder of the local mobster Bernie Rose, the Driver eventually confronts the primary antagonist, Nino. He successfully eliminates the threat and ensures the safety of Irene and her son, though he is left wounded and alone, driving into the night with the money left behind.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Nicolas Winding Refn
- Writers
- Hossein Amini · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ryan Gosling · The Driver; Carey Mulligan · Irene Gabriel; Bryan Cranston · Shannon; Albert Brooks · Bernie Rose; Oscar Isaac · Standard Gabriel; Christina Hendricks · Blanche; Ron Perlman · Nino 'Izzy' Paolozzi
- Genres
- action; drama
- Themes
- loyalty; loneliness; dark impulses
- Tone and mood
- neo-noir; stylized; violent
- Premise and plot tags
- heist; action; crime
- Source material / true-story basis
- James Sallis's 2005 novel
- Content notes
- graphic violence
- Reception
- The film was praised for its direction, cinematography, and performances, and was considered a commercial success and a cult favorite, despite some criticism regarding its graphic violence.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · scale: percentage · review count: 275; Metacritic · score: 79 · scale: 100 · review count: 43
- Awards and nominations
- Best Sound Editing · Academy Awards · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film's title sequence was inspired by Risky Business (1983).; The Driver's satin scorpion jacket became a widely recognized piece of cinematic outerwear.; The soundtrack helped popularize synthwave music with a wider audience.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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