An unnamed stunt driver (Ryan Gosling) spends his days working as a mechanic and driver in the movie world, while occasionally taking on jobs as a getaway driver for criminals in Los Angeles, United States. Living a relatively quiet life, he soon develops a friendship with his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, before becoming involved in a dangerous situation following the release of Irene’s husband from prison. Initially, he seems to have been pulled into a simple job, but this quickly snowballs into something far more serious. A memorable and equally as stylish crime thriller that has developed somewhat of a cult following. It’s worth noting that Drive is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Writers: James Sallis, Hossein Amini
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman, Albert Brooks

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and based on the 2005 novel of the same name, Drive hit the big screen in September 2011, going on to claim various awards within the industry, while also earning an Oscar nomination in the category of Best Achievement in Sound Editing. It’s worth noting that Drive is widely regarded as one of the more notable crime pictures of its era, despite its relatively straightforward story and limited amount of overall dialogue.

One of the biggest strengths of Drive would have to be its overall presentation. The Los Angeles setting could almost be categorised as a character within the film itself, while stylish cinematography and effective use of lighting make the picture extremely easy on the eye, particularly during the numerous night sequences. There’s also a noteworthy soundtrack, which manages to provide a calm and fitting ambience to the majority of scenes within the one-hundred-minute runtime.

As previously touched upon, the flick does feature a relatively straightforward story as well as limited dialogue, presenting an almost calm approach at times. That calm atmosphere, however, is contrasted rather sharply by some of the violence that appears throughout the picture. When the violence strikes, it can be surprisingly brutal in nature, which makes some of the graphic moments extremely impactful.

In terms of the cast, Ryan Gosling delivers a strong performance as the stunt driver himself, saying relatively little while still commanding a large amount of screentime. Carey Mulligan is also effective as Irene, providing the majority of the support, while Oscar Isaac, Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks also appear as Standard, Shannon, Nino and Bernie, albeit in less prominent roles.

All in all, Drive is an extremely well-crafted and stylish crime thriller, featuring a superb Los Angeles-based backdrop, that combines a calm atmosphere with some surprisingly brutal moments of violence. It may not quite reach the level of an all-time classic, especially considering the relatively straightforward plot, but there is certainly plenty to enjoy. As previously touched upon, Drive is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

“My hands are a little dirty.“

Driver – Drive