Drive (2011)
There are no clean getaways.
Driver is a skilled Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Though he projects an icy exterior, lately he's been warming up to a pretty neighbor named Irene and her young son, Benicio. When Irene's husband gets out of jail, he enlists Driver's help in a million-dollar heist. The job goes horribly wrong, and Driver must risk his life to protect Irene and Benicio from the vengeful masterminds behind the robbery.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 15 September 2011 |
| Genre | Drama, Thriller, Crime |
| Director | Nicolas Winding Refn |
| Starring | Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan and Bryan Cranston |
| Runtime | 100 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | AlloCiné 4.4/5 · Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.3/10 · Metacritic 79/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 93% · IMDb 7.8/10 · TMDB users 7.6/10 |
| Budget | $16 million |
| Box office | $79 million worldwide |
Where to watch Drive
We could not find Drive on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
What kind of watch this is
Nicolas Winding Refn directs this 100-minute crime drama. Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver. He is quiet. He is efficient. He is wrong. The film is cold, sleek, and violent. It is a tight, stylish thriller. It does not ask for your sympathy. It asks for your attention.
What the critics said
Critics adored the film, which is rare for a movie where the protagonist barely speaks. Rotten Tomatoes reported a 93% approval rating as of August 2024. Metacritic gave it a 79, labeling the response generally favorable. Roger Ebert ranked it his seventh-best film of the year, praising its respect for craft. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called it "a brilliant piece of nasty business." Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal found the villainy sensational. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it a C−.
How it did with audiences
The budget hit $16 million, and the worldwide gross landed at $79 million. In North America, it pulled in $35 million. On TMDB, users rate it 7.6 out of 10. IMDb had a 7.8/10 score as of March 2026.
What came next for the cast
Gosling arrived with the quiet tension of Fracture and left with the neon glow of La La Land. The credits do not say Drive caused the pivot. They only record the trajectory. Cranston stepped away from the desk of Breaking Bad into the bombast of Godzilla. Brooks, already a fixture since Taxi Driver, kept drifting through A Most Violent Year. Careers rarely turn in straight lines. They zigzag through roles that have nothing to do with each other.
Where it left its mark
Refn’s 2011 neo-noir did more than sit on shelves. It bridged the gap between arthouse and mainstream, pulling a silent protagonist into the neon-lit heart of pop culture. The scorpion jacket escaped the screen to become a Halloween staple and a fashion fixture, a detail GQ later called iconic. Meanwhile, the synth-heavy score helped push a genre into the mainstream. Miles Surrey of The Ringer notes the opening chase proved that indie budgets can still make you hold your breath. It remains a polarizing entry in Refn’s filmography, but its visual language stuck.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Drive.
Sources
- Drive on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q732960 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Drive (2011 film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
Watch it without paying for the whole year
Binge Boss tracks the movie you are on and tells you which services you need this month, and which you can cancel.
Add Drive to your list