Movie Review: Drive

Chrestomath
2 min readOct 1, 2024

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Literally me

This one was a fun time. I had seen Nicolas Winding Refn’s other films Bronson and Only God Forgives years ago and appreciated both, but Drive is likely his most accessible and best executed. The film has a near perfect sense of style. It is A E S T H E T I C. That opening ten minutes is just peak. Absolute master class in how to introduce a character and make him instantly compelling. The Driver (that’s his only name in the film) is probably the best “literally me” character of the 2010's.

Ryan Gosling’s taciturn protagonist carries the film. By day he does stunt driving for movies and by night he acts as a getaway driver for criminals. It’s an efficient setup nicely complicated by a heartwarming love story leading to the involvement of ruthless mobsters. The violence is graphic and sudden effectively underpinning both Driver’s disciplined persona and the unique vibe of the film. Speaking of vibe, the film also has a great soundtrack and gorgeous cinematography. Much like 2014’s Nightcrawler, Drive will make you appreciate Los Angeles’ scenic landscape both by day and night.

The film also has a surprisingly strong cast with Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, and Ron Perlman all turning in great supporting performances. Mulligan is especially memorable as Driver’s love interest giving the film a grounded human center.

My only criticism is that I wanted more driving. With its brisk 100 minute runtime the movie could have worked in another action scene without feeling bloated. As beautifully shot and engaging as it is, the middle portion of the film drags a bit. It’s still just a banger of a movie overall though and easy to recommend.

Grade: B+

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Chrestomath

“If you wish to be a writer, write.” ~ Epictetus