That stripper room scene about the phone call is stunning. You got topless, motionless women desperately trying not to call attention to themselves while the whole call and hand smash goes down. Absolutely engrossing and shocking.
@@carlossaraiva8213 I agree. Only God Forgives is similar in tone, pace, and lighting but by far a darker movie. Taboo in nature but well crafted story of trauma and retribution.
Also, he kisses her like it's the last kiss they'll ever have, because it is in a way. It's the last kiss they'll have before she sees who he really is and what he's capable of. He knows what he'll have to do, he knows that even if she loves him she'll never see him the same way again after, so first he shares one last innocent kiss.
@@BryanChuckBrennan Totally, I was just trying to head off any 'but he didn't *know* she'd leave him' nonsense by not even making that necessary for my point. UA-cam comments and all :)
One of my favorite scenes ever. The way the light fades for the kiss, and then how he's all sweaty and hunched over and covered in blood looking like Gollum after the kill. All pathetic and desperate.
@@MattAlbie Yes. The only let down is the actual fighting that follows the kiss. Except for the off camera face bashing, Our Hero was fighting sloppy and very obviously trying to make it look like he's fighting. I feel that this could have been better. That annoyed me, especially in the context that beautiful scene.
This movie suffered a LOT from the advertising, and audiences were also expecting a faster paced action movie. It's a big part why the initial ratings weren't great, and the box office opening was a bit less than expected. It's much more a character drama with some action, and way more cerebral than it was pitched.
Love this movie, and I agree some of the dislike for it can be blamed on false expectations, but I doubt it would have done any better at the box office with a truer ad campaign.
The 5 minutes was just the time they have in the building to getaway, if they came out after 6 minutes he would’ve been gone, but once they’re in the car he’ll take as much time as necessary to get the job done
yes but of course its not like he could pull over and let the police take JUST the burglers 😅 and pretty dangerous risk to try and demand they leave. what he needs is ejection seats 😁😝
The shot when Irene exits the elevator, horrified, after Driver stomps that guy to death is so perfect. The back of Driver’s jacket fills half the frame as he is breathing heavily, making the scorpion look alive. As she stares back him in shock. It’s such a subtle, beautiful touch. A visual metaphor that the scorpion has been awakened.
Well, the Scorpion story is all about how it can't change its nature even to save itself. He is self-aware enough to know that he is basically too toxic to have a normal life.
10:40 those private, intimate moments are what make the movie for me. our leads barely talk to each other, but you can FEEL how much they like each other and how well they work together. in less capable hands, these scenes would feel awkward and wooden, but instead, like you said, it almost makes the viewer feel like we're intruding on their love story. (these moments also make the violence that much more shocking as the film abruptly changes tone.)
Yup. I've watched some people react to this and think those scenes lacking dialogue are awkward, but they're anything but. If there's enough romantic tension/affection, silence is the opposite of awkward. Especially when considering both of their characters and actors, they're both great at conveying emotions through their faces alone and if you can't tell that right away then I don't know what to say. Interestingly, it's always the male reactors that think it's goofy while the female reactors think it's sweet. I don't know exactly what that says but it at least says something about us guys, lol. Maybe we should shut our traps more
Obviously not to disregard your point about Refn here, he's absolutely in command of these scenes and makes them less awkward and more impactful through a myriad of ways, as although what I was saying about silence is true it still can be strange to watch from an outside perspective.
@@jacobyoung729 something about women generally being more encouraged to notice minute changes in expression/body language compared to men, maybe? It's a skill you have to actively practice, and one men might be less pressed to engage in?
@@ravenofroses I like that analysis. Definitely seems like part of it. Perhaps also just a general hesitancy in seeing/showing intimacy as well, like how most guys won't watch romances because they think that they're cheesy or won't express as many emotions because they think that's a more manly thing to do. And that in turn leads to less of an understanding of different ways of showing intimacy and displaying emotion. Probably a whole lot of things!
I love the fact that this is really a story about an absolute monster. Just an incredibly violent, angry, verging on unhinged guy, literally struggling to not let that side of himself out. You see it throughout. The way he’s shaking in rage in that scene with the hammer. The elevator scene where he keeps kicking long after the dude is dead. How easily he kills those people in the motel. It’s possible that he’s even done this before. But most of the time he’s holding it together, and he meets somebody who helps him be a better person. So when outside forces start to mess with that, the animal comes out of him full force. The scene at the end with the mask is genuinely scary, almost like this movie has been about Michael Myers or something the entire time but with a nice side. Even the lyrics in the song, “a real human being, and a real hero”, it’s meant to be almost ironic. He leaves at the end not because of the dangerous people around him, but because he IS the most dangerous person around her. I HIGHLY recommend watching this a second time. Plays completely differently.
I’m so glad someone else noticed the shaking anger in the hammer scene. He was sweaty too, trying to fight it best he could. But much like the scorpion in the scorpion and the frog, despite his best intentions he’ll always give in to his nature.
I love the little scene with the driver and Benecio on the couch watching cartoons and the kid says you know he’s the bad guy because he’s a shark and driver asks “sharks can’t be the good guy?” And when Benecio says “nope”, driver gets this look of concern on his face, because he’s fighting to be “the good guy” so much but deep down he knows that he can’t fight his own nature.
Such a brilliant choice, hiring an art-house director for a crime thriller film. And because the story was so simple, Nicolas Winding Refn could squeeze every ounce of symbolism he could out of this movie. This is one of my top 3 favourite films, ever. It’s way more than just a crime movie, or a love story, or a driving movie. It’s fucking art. Something I noticed in rewatching it a few years ago; The Driver could have avoided everything that happened in the second half of the movie. When Bernie tells him “anything you need, you call me”, calling him to get the criminals to leave Standard and his family alone would have been more than enough of an appropriate favour for Bernie to take care of. But The Driver didn’t want to do that, or didn’t think of it. Because he wanted Irene to see him as a hero. There’s so much symbolism in this movie that plays so well into the theme of The Driver knowing he’s a bad person and wanting to be seen as a hero/good person. Like the use of the song “a real hero” several times throughout the movie. He even has his own hero outfit, his jacket. Man, I love this movie. This is the movie that kind of reawakened my love of cinema. I had developed a disinterest in movies during high school after seeing several crappy movies in theatres in 2008/2009 (eagle eye, transformers 2, etc.). But after I saw this in 2012, it like a revelation for me. I consider this film to be a part of the “yellow street lights” trilogy, all being about characters driving through L.A. at night, consisting of “Drive”, “Nightcrawler”, and “Collateral”. A really great, really varied triple-feature.
@@Frozen_Smoke1972 perhaps, but Bernie was already getting something in return: protecting his investment in Shannon & The Driver's stock car racing venture. That's why he left that option open to The Driver in the first place. He didn't want to lose money on that just because Driver got in trouble.
I was looking for a term to describe the vibe those three movies give me, because I absolutely love it. All three are among my favorites. Yellow street lights trilogy is a great term for it!
I love the slow pacing where you gradually learn that the “kid”/Driver is the most dangerous violent criminal in the movie. The other guys never knew what hit them.
I remember watching this movie and being surprised. No marketing or anything, just silently dope with a bangin’ soundtrack. Natalie was hilarious in this reaction.
Yeah, my roommate's brother came over with this random movie he got from RedBox and we got super stoned and were fucking blown away by this movie none of us had ever even heard of.
for me its more like it feels like a movie from the 90's, it became an instant classic when it released. I actually watched it many years ago and I also got mindfucked when I saw its from 2011.
@@AmazingChi for me movies that came out in the 1990s still feel very fresh like from yesterday. I can feel the dateness of the 80s movies except for the few exceptions that are among my favorites of the decade.
The ending is actually pretty ambiguos. It's bittersweet in the way it's presented but the audience is left to decide the driver's fate on their own. It's been stated by medical professionals that he likely wouldn't have survived that stabbing without immediate medical attention and we seeing him driving away after the sun has gone down. But with it being a work of fiction you can interpret it in a more happier light if you take the more optimistic view of him surviving and it all adds to the mystique and the mystery of the unnamed driver.
As far as I know, the movie was supposed to end on his still face, but Ryan Gosling pulled that slow eye blink and Refn loved it. Could be wrong though
The director said somewhere in an interview 'Violence is like sex. Its all about the build up and tension leading up to it' not his exact words but something like that.
To get extra depth to the cinematography, I recommend watching Every Frame a Painting's video about the Quadrant System which is used so well in this film.
I'm not a gearhead by any means, but this movie's sound design when cars are going full throttle gives me the biggest half-chub everrrr. 11/10 anything Nicolas Winding-Refn!
It was so great that we finally got to watch this movie with you Nat. This movie was always the bridesmaid over on Patreon. 8 polls, 8 fails. So glad you just said "F**K IT" 😂 Amazing reaction Nat, and shout out to Cameron for his moments of genius. I hope you're still in Nat's employment after the sheep behind the sofa 😄🐑
The writer and director of Drive is Nicolas Winding Refn. He is from Denmark, like me. If you ever want to explore a danish movie, then his breakout movie Pusher is worth a watch. It's starring Kim Bodnia (Known for The Witcher and Killing Eve) and Mads Mikkelsen (Know for everything). It is definitely worth a watch.
Comment from another Dane here. I think this is Refn's best film. He has a certain artistic style in the way he uses colors, light/dark, music and pacing. I like that a lot. What I don't like is all the blood and gross violence.
I really enjoyed seeing your reaction to a subtler, more deliberate movie. Don't get me wrong, I love it when you share the blockbusters and big franchises with us, but I'm totally here for this kind of film too. I also agree that you should watch more things just because you want to watch them. I think you should do that regularly, as part of your schedule! I'm sure your Patrons would be just as happy voting on 7-8 films a month as they are voting on 8-10. What would be even better would be if you also added one slot per month where the UA-cam community gets to pick one. It would be nice if your fans who can't afford to be patrons could still have a vote once in a while, and the Patreon subscribers could still come vote in those too, so they're not missing out on their chance. And hey, polls are great for engagement! Anyway, just my thoughts. Love the channel, and I'm happy to leave three comments on this video to pay it back in some small way, lol. Stay golden, Natalie!
Love this movie. I refer to movies like this as “meditation” movies. Like The Assassination of Jesse James, I can rewatch it just enjoying the cinematography, acting, and directing.
my main issue with this film has to do with the fact that it was Ryan the one responsable for that tragedy. If he hadn´t taken on that robbery, Irene´s hubby would have lived ...in fear..but aliive.
He was dead no matter what. They beat the bricks off him in a parking lot, gave his son a bullet and threatened his whole family just for refusing the job. He was gonna do the job eventually. And if he didn't, they woulda killed him anyway. Nino's entire plan required a credible fall guy and Standard was that guy.
If you like driving movies check out Baby Driver. It has some amazing music, cinematography, and driving. It’s a hidden gem that many don’t know about but we’ll worth a watch.
Ryan Gosling came a little short in here :D This is a masterpiece from every point of view but I want to concentrate on the acting. Ryan Gosling nails every single role he does. I’ve never seen a bad movie with him (saw almost all) but this one stands out! The way that we don’t see his face in the beginning yet we feel his acting and emotion just by seeing his back. He almost does not talk through the whole movie, he has very little lines, also he doesn’t move to much. His whole acting is based on his body language and his eyes. One could say he basically played for the most part of the movie either with his eyes or his back. And this is a special talent, extraordinary and very hard to do. There’re really not many actors able to do that. To me he definitely is one of the best actors (if not the best) of his generation. And really underrated too, since people always talk about his looks and he didn’t receive as much awards as he deserves. I honestly can recommend to you every single movie he’s done. He also nails every genre. But there’s one of his very first movies: the believer. This one has a special place in my heart. As a Jewish girl from Germany that movie had a really big impact on me and it made me think a lot. It’s a complicated one (on a psychological level) but his performance, again, is just breathtaking and him being new to cinema and not being Jewish but understanding and portraying it so well is unbelievable. You definitely should check that out (not as a reaction though, I don’t think this would be something for UA-cam). The Believer (2001).
The scorpion on the jacket is my favourite single detail of the film. He's the ferryman, taking people (criminals) across the river (safely away from the scene). More than that, he's the ferryman from the fable about the scorpion and the frog. His fate is sealed from the start, because it's inevitable that the criminals, the life of crime he lives, will inevitably sting him. Edit: Okay, clearly one of the central themes of the movie is that in the end, it turns out he's the scorpion. I didn't acknowledge that. But it's also worth pointing out how he begins the film representing the frog, or at least seeing himself that way. I just wanted to note how great it is that they literally put a scorpion on his back as part of the metaphorical red herring/conflict/revelation. So please stop commenting 'No he's the scorpion' because if you need for only one thing to be true at a time you're gonna have a hard time with art. 🙄
The frog was the one who carries the scorpion. And the idea was that the scorpion couldn't sting the frog or else they'd both die but it stings him anyways and they both die in the river. So it makes no sense
@@Fantomex. And up until the moment The Driver opens his eyes, the scorpion did kill them both. 'No sense' is a bit of an exaggeration, even if you don't personally agree.
@@Fantomex. I mean, the scorpion is quite literally on his back, so it’s possible that the driver sees himself as the frog. We’re the audience so it’s obvious to us that he’s the scorpion in this story. It’s not what the scorpion represents, it’s about what the driver thinks he represents.
@@lydric94 Yes! I think the driver is the frog and understands that he is. Nino & Bernie are the scorpions, but don't understand that they are. Nino used the frog (rode his back) as part of his criminal scheme at the pawn shop. Nino, acting in his scorpion nature, stings (kills) everyone to cover up the crime when it goes wrong. Only he doesn't realize the driver is a frog and that he is on his back, and so he drowns (literally.) The driver calls Bernie and tells him that he (the driver) is a frog and that his partner stung him and that's why died. Bernie appears to concede and set up a good faith meeting, but Bernie is a scorpion and just like the story he can't help himself and so he (literally) stabs the frog, and then dies like his partner The frog doesn't die like in the story because he understands who he is and knows his nature. The moral is "know yourself and you will not drown." Or in other words, if you're aware and honest about you are you can avoid the pitfalls that your nature will lead you to. Just my take.
I heard the opening theme a little while back on BBC Radio 1 "Nightcall" by Kravinsky. This lead me to find the film to watch and it was awesome. Everything you say about it.
Wow, something I never thought about until you mentioned the pacing of this movie, and then it hit me. How you described the pacing is a perfect metaphor the “The Driver’s” job, because it’s a whole lot of sitting around, waiting and not doing much, with short bursts of intense action. I always loved this movie, but that realization actually made me appreciate it even more.
This is my #3 favorite all-time movie. The score, acting, plot, and cinematography all complement each other to near perfection. I call this "movie magic." This movie has countless "movie magic" moments, whereas most movies can hardly put a single one together.
Ugh, this is such an underrated movie. So much better than Baby Driver, which has overshadowed it since the latter came out. This is one of my favorites, and you’re the first Ive seen react to it. So thank you! Hey, looking another romantic crime movie? For your consideration: True Romance
I remember seeing this in theaters and it was roller coaster. The way you get a quick burst of action before everything slows back down and builds the tension back up was riveting. It definitely wasn’t was I was expecting but it really struck a chord. Super memorable movie and I’ve rewatched it multiple times since I first watched it. I love how stylized it is because it really makes it stand out in my mind.
Drive is a masterpiece in a long line of noir character study films about people on the fringes of society and examining the kind of gritty and bleak circumstances that produce such people. Should definitely watch Taxi driver by Scorsese and Thief by Michael Mann. Oh and then No country for old men by the Coen brothers, that movie is just so awesome.
Frog: "Why did you do it?" Scorpion: "It's my nature." I saw this in cinema around the same time as Fracture. Ryan has range as an actor and those two movies highlighted that.
Was looking forward to this one. The use of silence, light and violence. Great film that is much more than some of its parts. Thinking of Ryan Gosling, The Place Beyond the Pines would be great for Nat.
I really like the idea of also trying out movies you are interested in (not just polled ones). Nothing better to get to know the real you than to walk along your doing what you really want to do. AKA unconditional love from both, yourself and followers of this channel. It's a nice addition, not a subtraction. ;-)
Natalie, you got introduced to the cinema of Nicolas Winding Refn, one of the top best directors working today. His entire filmmography is brilliant, all his movies are great and so is his TV show "Too Old To Die Young". I hope you get to see more movies made by him. My own personal favorite of his is Valhalla Rising.
The movie that inspired the Hotline Miami franchise. Also, fun fact: every time you see Gosling wearing his leather jacket and you can see his hands, that's because his arms are actually hidden inside the sleeves. He insisted to use his own hands for that, no CGI.
This is by far one of my favorite movies. Came out at a pivotal point in my life and has stuck with me since. The music, the acting, the story-telling, all of it. Glad you watched it! One of my favorite lines: Driver: My hands are a little dirty. Rose: So are mine.
Hi Natalie Gold, thank you for reacting to this movie that can't win polls but is still so superior and creative! It's hard to find a movie that features an introverted protagonist.
Suddenly, I like Tyler's taste in films. I saw this movie when it came out and was blown away by it. The intensity, the grittiness, the storytelling. A few movies I can recommend that might be to Tyler's liking, if he hasn't seen them already: Oscar Isaac in the sci fi "Ex Machina" . Bryan Cranston in the truly magnificent series "Breaking Bad." And for a little foreign flavor from Denmark, a drug dealer film as visceral as "Drive": "Pusher" (1996)
The story of the *Scorpion and the Frog* is a metaphor for The Driver and the criminals he drives around and gets involved with. The Driver is the frog who transports animals across the river and The Driver literally has a scorpion his back on his jacket. Paraphrasing the story here but: There’s this frog at the bank of the river (The Driver) who helps animals cross the river (The Driver transporting criminals) that can’t swim. One day a scorpion (criminals in this movie) asks the frog if he can help him cross the river, the frog says “no, you’ll sting me”, the scorpion retorts with “no no I won’t because then we’ll both drown”, so the frog agrees, and then puts the scorpion on his back (like I said, the driver literally has a scorpion on the back of his jacket), and then halfway through, the scorpion stings the frog and they both drown. The frog asks why he did it, and the scorpion said “I’m sorry but it’s in my nature. I couldn’t resist.” The Driver, while trying to help Irene and Benicio, like the frog just trying to help, got involved with the wrong people, in this case criminals that’ll screw each other over and double cross each other, and suffered the consequences of not living a happy life with Irene, Benicio, and probably the police.
Fun fact, this film started the 80’s nostalgia boom in the 2010’s along with Super 8 & Tron Legacy. I love this film so much that I can’t watch it with anyone because I’m too scared of it being rejected
@@antkemp Oh absolutely. A niche film making 80 million at the box office in 2011 had the whole world entranced with 80's nostalgia. Not! Granted it's the internet but some people come up with the silliest shit when they like something.
@@Madagon367 dude you really have no idea how the world works lol box office has nothing to do with cultural impact, The Shining flopped in the box office too, it has to do with what artists were inspired by the piece. The one two punch of Drive, Super 8 & Tron Legacy in 2010/2011 led to the nostalgia boom in musicians and filmmakers that were inspired by it and then it snowballed from there, it wasn’t like an immediate switch “okay everything’s 80’s now!” It built and built and built until the arguable pinnacle with Stranger Things in 2016
This is my favorite Gosling movie. Very stylized and so well made. His ability to convey so much with only like 10 lines in the whole movie. Really glad you liked it! Your reaction was so good to it as well!
It was SO MUCH FUN watching this with you Patreon. I first watched this movie years and years ago and really wanted you to watch it. Glad that Tyler helped nudge you along. :)
This film is a masterpiece Bryan Cranston was starring in season 4 of Breaking Bad as Walter White when they filmed this and Ron Perlman was starring as Clay in season 4 of Sons of Anarchy
Such a fantastic movie. You barely see reactions to this! Nicolas Windig Refn is a great director. Might wanna watch The Neon Demon at some point. Thank you for this! 🥰
This movie has a whole color meaning for exemple at Irene's clothes and house since the beginning to the end of the movie happens a lot of shots that have a meaning. (the colours Red = danger, violence. Blue = safety, peace) look while the movie goes, these colors at her home, clothes has a lot shots with it, slowly shows the predominance of red over blue (that was in the beginning), this happens at the moment that Ryan's character enter at their house, their lives starts to be in danger. This detail is awesome!
I went to see the movie Neon Demon in the cinema several years ago, it was my first introduction to Nicolas Winding Refn (the Director for Drive, Director and Writer for Neon Demon), and it completely changed my view on cinema. When he directs you know that every scene/frame has a purpose and when he is the writer too you know that you are going to be challenged or even shocked with the themes he presents. He is definitely someone to watch out for.
It was the ocean, but "The Scorpion and the Frog"fable is that a frog is about to cross a river and a scorpion asks to be taken across. The frog says that the scorpion will sting him and the scorpion says that he won't, as he'd drown. However, halfway across, the scorpion stings the frog, who asks why he killed him, the scorpion says "It's in my nature." It's a pretty good metaphor for the Driver, who tries to hide his true nature by being with Irene and Benicio, but who ends up having to become who he is underneath again.
This movie is truly beautiful. I haven't really experienced a movie like it since Blade Runner 2049. Both movies have very similar themes and Drive was probably a big inspiration for BR 2049.
Albert Brooks who plays Bernie in this film was mainly known for comedic roles before making this movie. He even shaved his eyebrows to give himself a more intense look. You may recognize his voice as Marlin from Finding Nemo.
You've earned my subscription, Natalie. Either you're a fantastic actress or you're genuine about these been your first time watches of movies. Either way, bravo. Also, Drive is one of my favourite films.
a scorpion tattoo is also a tradition among US Special forces who went to the desert for combat in the past recent wars/conflicts there. i think there is good odds that this is the Driver's backstory. he is very good at hand to hand combat, hes got his head on tactical swivel split second decision mode 24/7 and lives very minimally and mobile. havent disected the full movie for any more hints, but he doesnt seem like ~just~ some tough guy who liked cars and just happened to keep getting caught up in more 🕵♂️🤷♂️
This movies is definitely in my top 3, with 2 of the 3 being Ryan Gosling leads, the other being bladerunner. The man knows how to portray feeling via his eyes and facial expressions even in very stoic roles like this. He doesn't have to say a lot as a character to empathize with how his character feels in the moment. The staring between the characters in this film said so much more than any dialogue could. Ryan Gosling is such a diverse actor, more than you would think, comparing this film with the stoic monster filled with rage ready to burst to The Nice Guys clumsy buffoonish abbott and costello comedy and La La Land musical larger than life performance, you get 3 vastly different character portrayals it's quite amazing, dudes top notch.
Ryan Gosling is essentially an anti-hero in this film. He's basically a functioning psychopath with a heart of gold. Two traits psychopaths exhibit is they don't tend to experience fear (hence the high speed stunt driving) and their ability to tap into uncontrolled rage which is why he comes across as extremely violent and unhinged at times.
I'd recommend The Nice Guys for another great Ryan Gosling performance, though in a completely different direction. Buddy-cop action-comedy with Russell Crowe, directed by Shane Black.
Drive is one of my fondest movie theater experiences. I know a lot of audiences were caught off-guard, expecting a more conventional action movie because of the marketing. There was even a nuisance lawsuit for false advertising. But for whatever reason, the crowd at the Seaford Cinemas on Long Island was hip to the Winding-Refn vibe. *Chefs kiss*
The actor who plays Bernie in this film (Albert Brooks) is also the voice of Marlin in Finding Nemo/Dory... makes one wonder how Nemo really ended up with his "lucky" fin!
There is an analysis of this movie's cinematography approach somewhere on UA-cam. It divided the movie up into quadrants and used that framing model to show how different smaller stories are being told in each quadrant, and how they are being used to support the main visual narrative. One of my favorites of the 2010s!
Though I'm not typically a big fan of electronica or house music, this was actually the first movie where I could feel in the theatres the music really impacting my viewing of it. It just put me in such a mood while watching the movie and as soon as I got home I immediately had to find and download the soundtrack, lol.
The scorpion jacket has two significant meanings. The first is the fable of The Scorpion and the Frog which is mentioned. The second is because Gosling has before mentioned his interest in superheroes, but has never wanted to be part of a lengthy contract. So he liked the idea of the jacket being used like a superhero costume and that Drive is his superhero film. Strangely enough he’s now signed up to a trilogy of Gray Man films. I guess with those films being direct adaptations of books he’s fine with that, while comic book films tend to do their own thing.
Albert Brooks (Bernie)was also great as a sinister brutal mobster, and I would love to see him as a lead in a crime movie. Also gruesome as some of the scenes are it does reinforce the story and isn't violence for the sake of it. Great movie.
This film (one of my all time favorites btw) is based on an excellent novel by James Sallis. It can help answer some of the questions. For one thing, Gosling's character has no name, he's simply called Driver. For another, he doesn't have any special badass background, just left home at a young age and ended up getting involved in some shady business. Finally, the end isn't meant to be ambiguous, left up to the viewer's interpretation, whatever. It's explained in the novel that he lives and eventually gets killed in a bar fight years later. The novel even has a sequel titled Driven that takes place between the events of the first novel and Driver's eventual death. Like some have said, this movie didn't do as well as it deserved thanks in large part to the advertising. The trailers propped this film up as being akin to F&F, all action and fast cars. So the majority of people who went to see it were the type who enjoyed dopey, hollow, slack-jawed action films, and what they got instead was a masterpiece, so of course they left the theater angry. Meanwhile, the people who might have actually enjoyed the film avoided it because they were put off by the idea of another F&F. If the studio had actually had some faith in the film and advertised it properly it might have actually done quite well. Anyway, I'm always happy to see someone else finding this movie and enjoying the hell out of it.
10:40 one of the reasons i have a love affair with this movie is how genuine the chemistry is. You really do feel like youre witnessing a secret moment
I remember the first time I saw this, Driver left me feeling anxious all the time. Ive met dudes like that, they're fucking terrifying, always on a constant knife edge
the way this movie uses beautiful silence and imagery mixed with its shocking acts of violence is just so beautifully done
Refn does that in all his movies.
I was not prepared for the level of violence.
Edit: Also, I can't ever see Finding Nemo the same ever again.
I always describe it as an ethereal feeling movie.
That stripper room scene about the phone call is stunning. You got topless, motionless women desperately trying not to call attention to themselves while the whole call and hand smash goes down. Absolutely engrossing and shocking.
@@carlossaraiva8213 I agree. Only God Forgives is similar in tone, pace, and lighting but by far a darker movie. Taboo in nature but well crafted story of trauma and retribution.
Also, he kisses her like it's the last kiss they'll ever have, because it is in a way. It's the last kiss they'll have before she sees who he really is and what he's capable of. He knows what he'll have to do, he knows that even if she loves him she'll never see him the same way again after, so first he shares one last innocent kiss.
i mean it was the last kiss. he knew once she saw that side of him it was over. once that elevator closed it was over.
@@BryanChuckBrennan Totally, I was just trying to head off any 'but he didn't *know* she'd leave him' nonsense by not even making that necessary for my point. UA-cam comments and all :)
One of my favorite scenes ever. The way the light fades for the kiss, and then how he's all sweaty and hunched over and covered in blood looking like Gollum after the kill. All pathetic and desperate.
@@MattAlbie Yes. The only let down is the actual fighting that follows the kiss. Except for the off camera face bashing, Our Hero was fighting sloppy and very obviously trying to make it look like he's fighting. I feel that this could have been better. That annoyed me, especially in the context that beautiful scene.
Cry 🤡
This movie suffered a LOT from the advertising, and audiences were also expecting a faster paced action movie. It's a big part why the initial ratings weren't great, and the box office opening was a bit less than expected. It's much more a character drama with some action, and way more cerebral than it was pitched.
Studios have always had a hard time advertising Refhn’s films. They did the same thing for Valhalla Rising and Only God Forgives.
Movie is slow as shit
Love this movie, and I agree some of the dislike for it can be blamed on false expectations, but I doubt it would have done any better at the box office with a truer ad campaign.
I feel like Baby Driver was the movie people thought they were gonna see based on the marketing.
@@biglc034 100% agree
The 5 minutes was just the time they have in the building to getaway, if they came out after 6 minutes he would’ve been gone, but once they’re in the car he’ll take as much time as necessary to get the job done
Exactly
yes but of course its not like he could pull over and let the police take JUST the burglers 😅
and pretty dangerous risk to try and demand they leave.
what he needs is ejection seats 😁😝
@@mokane86 that’s what I was thinking when she was talking like that was the case 😂😂 “ope sorry it’s been five minutes byeeeee” lol
What the ‘wheelman’ movie should’ve been
The shot when Irene exits the elevator, horrified, after Driver stomps that guy to death is so perfect. The back of Driver’s jacket fills half the frame as he is breathing heavily, making the scorpion look alive. As she stares back him in shock. It’s such a subtle, beautiful touch. A visual metaphor that the scorpion has been awakened.
Feels like she was innocence and he kissed innocence goodbye 🥺
Well, the Scorpion story is all about how it can't change its nature even to save itself. He is self-aware enough to know that he is basically too toxic to have a normal life.
@@nullunit Couldn’t agree more
Well, in the metaphor she's also the frog - she trusted him but his true nature caused him to hurt her nonetheless
10:40 those private, intimate moments are what make the movie for me. our leads barely talk to each other, but you can FEEL how much they like each other and how well they work together. in less capable hands, these scenes would feel awkward and wooden, but instead, like you said, it almost makes the viewer feel like we're intruding on their love story. (these moments also make the violence that much more shocking as the film abruptly changes tone.)
Yup. I've watched some people react to this and think those scenes lacking dialogue are awkward, but they're anything but. If there's enough romantic tension/affection, silence is the opposite of awkward. Especially when considering both of their characters and actors, they're both great at conveying emotions through their faces alone and if you can't tell that right away then I don't know what to say. Interestingly, it's always the male reactors that think it's goofy while the female reactors think it's sweet. I don't know exactly what that says but it at least says something about us guys, lol. Maybe we should shut our traps more
Obviously not to disregard your point about Refn here, he's absolutely in command of these scenes and makes them less awkward and more impactful through a myriad of ways, as although what I was saying about silence is true it still can be strange to watch from an outside perspective.
@@jacobyoung729 something about women generally being more encouraged to notice minute changes in expression/body language compared to men, maybe? It's a skill you have to actively practice, and one men might be less pressed to engage in?
@@ravenofroses I like that analysis. Definitely seems like part of it. Perhaps also just a general hesitancy in seeing/showing intimacy as well, like how most guys won't watch romances because they think that they're cheesy or won't express as many emotions because they think that's a more manly thing to do. And that in turn leads to less of an understanding of different ways of showing intimacy and displaying emotion. Probably a whole lot of things!
I love the fact that this is really a story about an absolute monster. Just an incredibly violent, angry, verging on unhinged guy, literally struggling to not let that side of himself out. You see it throughout. The way he’s shaking in rage in that scene with the hammer. The elevator scene where he keeps kicking long after the dude is dead. How easily he kills those people in the motel. It’s possible that he’s even done this before. But most of the time he’s holding it together, and he meets somebody who helps him be a better person. So when outside forces start to mess with that, the animal comes out of him full force. The scene at the end with the mask is genuinely scary, almost like this movie has been about Michael Myers or something the entire time but with a nice side. Even the lyrics in the song, “a real human being, and a real hero”, it’s meant to be almost ironic. He leaves at the end not because of the dangerous people around him, but because he IS the most dangerous person around her.
I HIGHLY recommend watching this a second time. Plays completely differently.
He is a scorpion that wishes he was a frog
Superb analysis.
I’m so glad someone else noticed the shaking anger in the hammer scene. He was sweaty too, trying to fight it best he could. But much like the scorpion in the scorpion and the frog, despite his best intentions he’ll always give in to his nature.
YES. I wish we could get to know his backstory
I love the little scene with the driver and Benecio on the couch watching cartoons and the kid says you know he’s the bad guy because he’s a shark and driver asks “sharks can’t be the good guy?” And when Benecio says “nope”, driver gets this look of concern on his face, because he’s fighting to be “the good guy” so much but deep down he knows that he can’t fight his own nature.
Such a brilliant choice, hiring an art-house director for a crime thriller film. And because the story was so simple, Nicolas Winding Refn could squeeze every ounce of symbolism he could out of this movie. This is one of my top 3 favourite films, ever. It’s way more than just a crime movie, or a love story, or a driving movie. It’s fucking art.
Something I noticed in rewatching it a few years ago; The Driver could have avoided everything that happened in the second half of the movie. When Bernie tells him “anything you need, you call me”, calling him to get the criminals to leave Standard and his family alone would have been more than enough of an appropriate favour for Bernie to take care of. But The Driver didn’t want to do that, or didn’t think of it. Because he wanted Irene to see him as a hero. There’s so much symbolism in this movie that plays so well into the theme of The Driver knowing he’s a bad person and wanting to be seen as a hero/good person. Like the use of the song “a real hero” several times throughout the movie. He even has his own hero outfit, his jacket.
Man, I love this movie. This is the movie that kind of reawakened my love of cinema. I had developed a disinterest in movies during high school after seeing several crappy movies in theatres in 2008/2009 (eagle eye, transformers 2, etc.). But after I saw this in 2012, it like a revelation for me.
I consider this film to be a part of the “yellow street lights” trilogy, all being about characters driving through L.A. at night, consisting of “Drive”, “Nightcrawler”, and “Collateral”. A really great, really varied triple-feature.
Maybe he didn't want to ask Bernie for anything because when you ask people like that for favours, they usually expect something in return.
@@Frozen_Smoke1972 perhaps, but Bernie was already getting something in return: protecting his investment in Shannon & The Driver's stock car racing venture. That's why he left that option open to The Driver in the first place. He didn't want to lose money on that just because Driver got in trouble.
interesting point!
@@NatalieGoldReacts Nightcrawler is a perfect movie, you should definitely consider, and i know it's not going to win in polls.
I was looking for a term to describe the vibe those three movies give me, because I absolutely love it. All three are among my favorites. Yellow street lights trilogy is a great term for it!
I love the slow pacing where you gradually learn that the “kid”/Driver is the most dangerous violent criminal in the movie. The other guys never knew what hit them.
I remember watching this movie and being surprised. No marketing or anything, just silently dope with a bangin’ soundtrack. Natalie was hilarious in this reaction.
Yeah, my roommate's brother came over with this random movie he got from RedBox and we got super stoned and were fucking blown away by this movie none of us had ever even heard of.
When you checked which year it came out. You were like "it's not too long ago." And then it hit you how time flies. I laughed unnecessarily hard.
That's the kind of realization that hits you hard since you are 25 years old.
for me its more like it feels like a movie from the 90's, it became an instant classic when it released. I actually watched it many years ago and I also got mindfucked when I saw its from 2011.
Yeah, I'm of that age where anything that came out from 2010 onwards "was probably a couple of years ago."
@@AmazingChi for me movies that came out in the 1990s still feel very fresh like from yesterday. I can feel the dateness of the 80s movies except for the few exceptions that are among my favorites of the decade.
I felt old real quick haha
Apart from being a masterpiece of a movie this is also what got me hooked on synthwave. The main theme, "Nightcall", is just so damn good.
The ending is actually pretty ambiguos. It's bittersweet in the way it's presented but the audience is left to decide the driver's fate on their own. It's been stated by medical professionals that he likely wouldn't have survived that stabbing without immediate medical attention and we seeing him driving away after the sun has gone down. But with it being a work of fiction you can interpret it in a more happier light if you take the more optimistic view of him surviving and it all adds to the mystique and the mystery of the unnamed driver.
As far as I know, the movie was supposed to end on his still face, but Ryan Gosling pulled that slow eye blink and Refn loved it. Could be wrong though
The director said somewhere in an interview 'Violence is like sex. Its all about the build up and tension leading up to it' not his exact words but something like that.
To get extra depth to the cinematography, I recommend watching Every Frame a Painting's video about the Quadrant System which is used so well in this film.
I came here to type the same thing.
I'm not a gearhead by any means, but this movie's sound design when cars are going full throttle gives me the biggest half-chub everrrr. 11/10 anything Nicolas Winding-Refn!
"The Places Beyond the Pines" is a good Ryan Gosling movie that feels almost like this one.
Lol, was scanning the comments to see if anyone else recommended this!! 👍
I agree
I was obsessed with this movie when it came out. That elevator scene is still one of my all time favourite moments in any movie.
Any chance you’ll be reacting to “The Batman”? Seems very fitting especially since you recently watched Seven (it’s got similar vibes).
I thought the same thing about Se7en! Every person I’ve recommended The Batman to I’ve told them it’s a mix between A Dark Knight movie and Se7en.
She already has reacted to it on her Patreon. it will probably be uploaded here next week
So she reacted to The Batman but not Man of Steel? I think he should watch some of the DCEU so she can compare Bale, Affleck and Pattinson
@@jamieprfm Good shout. I’m impatient so I just went ahead and joined her Patreon haha 😁
@@tmac731 bruh Man of Steel is a nightmare hellscape of a movie, an assault on the senses no one should watch it
It was so great that we finally got to watch this movie with you Nat. This movie was always the bridesmaid over on Patreon. 8 polls, 8 fails. So glad you just said "F**K IT" 😂
Amazing reaction Nat, and shout out to Cameron for his moments of genius. I hope you're still in Nat's employment after the sheep behind the sofa 😄🐑
The writer and director of Drive is Nicolas Winding Refn. He is from Denmark, like me. If you ever want to explore a danish movie, then his breakout movie Pusher is worth a watch. It's starring Kim Bodnia (Known for The Witcher and Killing Eve) and Mads Mikkelsen (Know for everything). It is definitely worth a watch.
Refn is a national treasure. :)
Loved Drive. And I loved Nicholas appearing in Hideo Kojima's Death Stranding. His character in that game was pretty awesome.
Comment from another Dane here. I think this is Refn's best film. He has a certain artistic style in the way he uses colors, light/dark, music and pacing. I like that a lot. What I don't like is all the blood and gross violence.
Refn didn't write Drive. It was Hossein Amini.
@@Madbandit77 Sorry, I don't know why I wrote "writer". I actually have no knowledge on that. I guess I just assumed it.
I really enjoyed seeing your reaction to a subtler, more deliberate movie. Don't get me wrong, I love it when you share the blockbusters and big franchises with us, but I'm totally here for this kind of film too.
I also agree that you should watch more things just because you want to watch them. I think you should do that regularly, as part of your schedule! I'm sure your Patrons would be just as happy voting on 7-8 films a month as they are voting on 8-10.
What would be even better would be if you also added one slot per month where the UA-cam community gets to pick one. It would be nice if your fans who can't afford to be patrons could still have a vote once in a while, and the Patreon subscribers could still come vote in those too, so they're not missing out on their chance. And hey, polls are great for engagement!
Anyway, just my thoughts. Love the channel, and I'm happy to leave three comments on this video to pay it back in some small way, lol. Stay golden, Natalie!
thanks for the suggestion! That's a good idea :)
Love this movie. I refer to movies like this as “meditation” movies. Like The Assassination of Jesse James, I can rewatch it just enjoying the cinematography, acting, and directing.
I LOVED The Assassination of Jesse James! Such an incredible film
my main issue with this film has to do with the fact that it was Ryan the one responsable for that tragedy. If he hadn´t taken on that robbery, Irene´s hubby would have lived ...in fear..but aliive.
He was dead no matter what. They beat the bricks off him in a parking lot, gave his son a bullet and threatened his whole family just for refusing the job. He was gonna do the job eventually. And if he didn't, they woulda killed him anyway. Nino's entire plan required a credible fall guy and Standard was that guy.
If you like driving movies check out Baby Driver. It has some amazing music, cinematography, and driving. It’s a hidden gem that many don’t know about but we’ll worth a watch.
I definitely second that motion.
Probly be a pain to edit considering the amount, and how prominent, the soundtrack is.
Ryan Gosling came a little short in here :D
This is a masterpiece from every point of view but I want to concentrate on the acting. Ryan Gosling nails every single role he does. I’ve never seen a bad movie with him (saw almost all) but this one stands out! The way that we don’t see his face in the beginning yet we feel his acting and emotion just by seeing his back. He almost does not talk through the whole movie, he has very little lines, also he doesn’t move to much. His whole acting is based on his body language and his eyes. One could say he basically played for the most part of the movie either with his eyes or his back. And this is a special talent, extraordinary and very hard to do. There’re really not many actors able to do that. To me he definitely is one of the best actors (if not the best) of his generation. And really underrated too, since people always talk about his looks and he didn’t receive as much awards as he deserves.
I honestly can recommend to you every single movie he’s done. He also nails every genre. But there’s one of his very first movies: the believer.
This one has a special place in my heart. As a Jewish girl from Germany that movie had a really big impact on me and it made me think a lot. It’s a complicated one (on a psychological level) but his performance, again, is just breathtaking and him being new to cinema and not being Jewish but understanding and portraying it so well is unbelievable. You definitely should check that out (not as a reaction though, I don’t think this would be something for UA-cam). The Believer (2001).
The scorpion on the jacket is my favourite single detail of the film.
He's the ferryman, taking people (criminals) across the river (safely away from the scene). More than that, he's the ferryman from the fable about the scorpion and the frog. His fate is sealed from the start, because it's inevitable that the criminals, the life of crime he lives, will inevitably sting him.
Edit: Okay, clearly one of the central themes of the movie is that in the end, it turns out he's the scorpion. I didn't acknowledge that. But it's also worth pointing out how he begins the film representing the frog, or at least seeing himself that way. I just wanted to note how great it is that they literally put a scorpion on his back as part of the metaphorical red herring/conflict/revelation.
So please stop commenting 'No he's the scorpion' because if you need for only one thing to be true at a time you're gonna have a hard time with art. 🙄
The Scorpion stings the frog.... it isn't stung by the Frog.
The frog was the one who carries the scorpion. And the idea was that the scorpion couldn't sting the frog or else they'd both die but it stings him anyways and they both die in the river. So it makes no sense
@@Fantomex. And up until the moment The Driver opens his eyes, the scorpion did kill them both. 'No sense' is a bit of an exaggeration, even if you don't personally agree.
@@Fantomex. I mean, the scorpion is quite literally on his back, so it’s possible that the driver sees himself as the frog. We’re the audience so it’s obvious to us that he’s the scorpion in this story. It’s not what the scorpion represents, it’s about what the driver thinks he represents.
@@lydric94 Yes! I think the driver is the frog and understands that he is. Nino & Bernie are the scorpions, but don't understand that they are. Nino used the frog (rode his back) as part of his criminal scheme at the pawn shop. Nino, acting in his scorpion nature, stings (kills) everyone to cover up the crime when it goes wrong. Only he doesn't realize the driver is a frog and that he is on his back, and so he drowns (literally.) The driver calls Bernie and tells him that he (the driver) is a frog and that his partner stung him and that's why died. Bernie appears to concede and set up a good faith meeting, but Bernie is a scorpion and just like the story he can't help himself and so he (literally) stabs the frog, and then dies like his partner
The frog doesn't die like in the story because he understands who he is and knows his nature. The moral is "know yourself and you will not drown." Or in other words, if you're aware and honest about you are you can avoid the pitfalls that your nature will lead you to.
Just my take.
I heard the opening theme a little while back on BBC Radio 1 "Nightcall" by Kravinsky. This lead me to find the film to watch and it was awesome. Everything you say about it.
"Theres something inside you..
I just cant explain..."
Radio 1 also did a huge piece of redoing the soundtrack with other music.
The entire movies soundtrack is cracking.
after many years, it only recently dawned on me how much the story plays out as a western. a strong silent hero riding off into the proverbial sunset
Just like Shane, he's wounded and we don't know whether he'll survive.
Wow, something I never thought about until you mentioned the pacing of this movie, and then it hit me. How you described the pacing is a perfect metaphor the “The Driver’s” job, because it’s a whole lot of sitting around, waiting and not doing much, with short bursts of intense action. I always loved this movie, but that realization actually made me appreciate it even more.
This is my #3 favorite all-time movie. The score, acting, plot, and cinematography all complement each other to near perfection. I call this "movie magic." This movie has countless "movie magic" moments, whereas most movies can hardly put a single one together.
I love how Albert Brooks, the west coast Woody Allen himself, plays the villain and is pretty intimidating actually:)
Driver was such a low key badass protagonist. An absolutely fearless dude.
He’s barely even human in this. He seems like a shell of a person for so much of it
Love how this movie goes from calm to hectic to super calm right before the hyper violence. Definitely one of Ryan Gosling's best performances.
Ugh, this is such an underrated movie. So much better than Baby Driver, which has overshadowed it since the latter came out. This is one of my favorites, and you’re the first Ive seen react to it. So thank you!
Hey, looking another romantic crime movie? For your consideration: True Romance
Another amazing surprise! One of my all time favorites and a soundtrack I still play in my car - two songs randomly came up this week!
You should watch some of Refn’s other films. They’re all incredibly violent, but beautifully shot and soundtracked.
I remember seeing this in theaters and it was roller coaster. The way you get a quick burst of action before everything slows back down and builds the tension back up was riveting. It definitely wasn’t was I was expecting but it really struck a chord. Super memorable movie and I’ve rewatched it multiple times since I first watched it. I love how stylized it is because it really makes it stand out in my mind.
Drive is a masterpiece in a long line of noir character study films about people on the fringes of society and examining the kind of gritty and bleak circumstances that produce such people. Should definitely watch Taxi driver by Scorsese and Thief by Michael Mann. Oh and then No country for old men by the Coen brothers, that movie is just so awesome.
I love all of Michael Mann's films, he and Ridley Scott are my favorites. Nat, try watching The Insider as well
Frog: "Why did you do it?"
Scorpion: "It's my nature."
I saw this in cinema around the same time as Fracture. Ryan has range as an actor and those two movies highlighted that.
I thoroughly recommend ‘ The Neon Demon’ by the same director. Such a good film and just as disturbing. Every frame is a visual masterpiece.
That opening sequence is legit! And always loved it features the not so stereotypical Los Angeles.
Also, “Nightcall” by Kavinsky is such a rad tune!
I'm going to join other in recommending 'Baby Driver' . The opening car chase alone is worth watching.
This is the movie that made me realize films can be so much more than a fun time. Ive obsessed and studied this movie for years.
Was looking forward to this one. The use of silence, light and violence. Great film that is much more than some of its parts.
Thinking of Ryan Gosling, The Place Beyond the Pines would be great for Nat.
Cool! Love this movie. Glad I decided to check in. I drifted away from you channel since you got so focused on comic book stuff
Its absolutely incredible how violence on men when women do it is absolutely fine lol. Like she don't agree with him sight, but that slap? tf
Albert Brooks usually plays such a great dry humor character, I loved seeing him in this roll.
Love Albert Brooks! His writing and performances!
Have you watched The Place Beyond the Pines? It's another suspenseful Gosling drama where his character has to go fast.
I really like the idea of also trying out movies you are interested in (not just polled ones). Nothing better to get to know the real you than to walk along your doing what you really want to do. AKA unconditional love from both, yourself and followers of this channel. It's a nice addition, not a subtraction. ;-)
Natalie, you got introduced to the cinema of Nicolas Winding Refn, one of the top best directors working today. His entire filmmography is brilliant, all his movies are great and so is his TV show "Too Old To Die Young".
I hope you get to see more movies made by him.
My own personal favorite of his is Valhalla Rising.
The movie that inspired the Hotline Miami franchise.
Also, fun fact: every time you see Gosling wearing his leather jacket and you can see his hands, that's because his arms are actually hidden inside the sleeves. He insisted to use his own hands for that, no CGI.
Driving on the L.A river with the song "A real Hero" for some reason for me is the highlight of the movie.
This is by far one of my favorite movies. Came out at a pivotal point in my life and has stuck with me since. The music, the acting, the story-telling, all of it. Glad you watched it!
One of my favorite lines:
Driver: My hands are a little dirty.
Rose: So are mine.
Hi Natalie Gold, thank you for reacting to this movie that can't win polls but is still so superior and creative! It's hard to find a movie that features an introverted protagonist.
Suddenly, I like Tyler's taste in films.
I saw this movie when it came out and was blown away by it. The intensity, the grittiness, the storytelling.
A few movies I can recommend that might be to Tyler's liking, if he hasn't seen them already:
Oscar Isaac in the sci fi "Ex Machina" . Bryan Cranston in the truly magnificent series "Breaking Bad." And for a little foreign flavor from Denmark, a drug dealer film as visceral as "Drive": "Pusher" (1996)
The story of the *Scorpion and the Frog* is a metaphor for The Driver and the criminals he drives around and gets involved with. The Driver is the frog who transports animals across the river and The Driver literally has a scorpion his back on his jacket.
Paraphrasing the story here but: There’s this frog at the bank of the river (The Driver) who helps animals cross the river (The Driver transporting criminals) that can’t swim. One day a scorpion (criminals in this movie) asks the frog if he can help him cross the river, the frog says “no, you’ll sting me”, the scorpion retorts with “no no I won’t because then we’ll both drown”, so the frog agrees, and then puts the scorpion on his back (like I said, the driver literally has a scorpion on the back of his jacket), and then halfway through, the scorpion stings the frog and they both drown. The frog asks why he did it, and the scorpion said “I’m sorry but it’s in my nature. I couldn’t resist.”
The Driver, while trying to help Irene and Benicio, like the frog just trying to help, got involved with the wrong people, in this case criminals that’ll screw each other over and double cross each other, and suffered the consequences of not living a happy life with Irene, Benicio, and probably the police.
Fun fact, this film started the 80’s nostalgia boom in the 2010’s along with Super 8 & Tron Legacy. I love this film so much that I can’t watch it with anyone because I’m too scared of it being rejected
Did it really dude
@@antkemp oh absolutely, no doubt
@@antkemp Oh absolutely. A niche film making 80 million at the box office in 2011 had the whole world entranced with 80's nostalgia. Not! Granted it's the internet but some people come up with the silliest shit when they like something.
Lol, no it didn't. What a moronic thing to say.
@@Madagon367 dude you really have no idea how the world works lol box office has nothing to do with cultural impact, The Shining flopped in the box office too, it has to do with what artists were inspired by the piece. The one two punch of Drive, Super 8 & Tron Legacy in 2010/2011 led to the nostalgia boom in musicians and filmmakers that were inspired by it and then it snowballed from there, it wasn’t like an immediate switch “okay everything’s 80’s now!” It built and built and built until the arguable pinnacle with Stranger Things in 2016
This is my favorite Gosling movie. Very stylized and so well made. His ability to convey so much with only like 10 lines in the whole movie. Really glad you liked it! Your reaction was so good to it as well!
To keep the theme going, you should do Baby Driver next!
It was SO MUCH FUN watching this with you Patreon. I first watched this movie years and years ago and really wanted you to watch it. Glad that Tyler helped nudge you along. :)
YES please less franchise shenanigans and more films like this. If it means you have to pick them yourself instead of relying on polls, then so be it!
This film is a masterpiece
Bryan Cranston was starring in season 4 of Breaking Bad as Walter White when they filmed this and Ron Perlman was starring as Clay in season 4 of Sons of Anarchy
Such a fantastic movie. You barely see reactions to this! Nicolas Windig Refn is a great director. Might wanna watch The Neon Demon at some point. Thank you for this! 🥰
This movie has a whole color meaning for exemple at Irene's clothes and house since the beginning to the end of the movie happens a lot of shots that have a meaning. (the colours Red = danger, violence. Blue = safety, peace) look while the movie goes, these colors at her home, clothes has a lot shots with it, slowly shows the predominance of red over blue (that was in the beginning), this happens at the moment that Ryan's character enter at their house, their lives starts to be in danger. This detail is awesome!
I went to see the movie Neon Demon in the cinema several years ago, it was my first introduction to Nicolas Winding Refn (the Director for Drive, Director and Writer for Neon Demon), and it completely changed my view on cinema. When he directs you know that every scene/frame has a purpose and when he is the writer too you know that you are going to be challenged or even shocked with the themes he presents. He is definitely someone to watch out for.
It was the ocean, but "The Scorpion and the Frog"fable is that a frog is about to cross a river and a scorpion asks to be taken across. The frog says that the scorpion will sting him and the scorpion says that he won't, as he'd drown. However, halfway across, the scorpion stings the frog, who asks why he killed him, the scorpion says "It's in my nature."
It's a pretty good metaphor for the Driver, who tries to hide his true nature by being with Irene and Benicio, but who ends up having to become who he is underneath again.
This movie is truly beautiful. I haven't really experienced a movie like it since Blade Runner 2049. Both movies have very similar themes and Drive was probably a big inspiration for BR 2049.
Albert Brooks who plays Bernie in this film was mainly known for comedic roles before making this movie. He even shaved his eyebrows to give himself a more intense look.
You may recognize his voice as Marlin from Finding Nemo.
If you want a GREAT Ryan Gosling flick, A Place Beyond The Pines is phenomenal! Bradley Cooper is in it too.
You've earned my subscription, Natalie. Either you're a fantastic actress or you're genuine about these been your first time watches of movies. Either way, bravo.
Also, Drive is one of my favourite films.
a scorpion tattoo is also a tradition among US Special forces who went to the desert for combat in the past recent wars/conflicts there.
i think there is good odds that this is the Driver's backstory.
he is very good at hand to hand combat, hes got his head on tactical swivel split second decision mode 24/7 and lives very minimally and mobile.
havent disected the full movie for any more hints, but he doesnt seem like ~just~ some tough guy who liked cars and just happened to keep getting caught up in more 🕵♂️🤷♂️
This movies is definitely in my top 3, with 2 of the 3 being Ryan Gosling leads, the other being bladerunner. The man knows how to portray feeling via his eyes and facial expressions even in very stoic roles like this. He doesn't have to say a lot as a character to empathize with how his character feels in the moment.
The staring between the characters in this film said so much more than any dialogue could.
Ryan Gosling is such a diverse actor, more than you would think, comparing this film with the stoic monster filled with rage ready to burst to The Nice Guys clumsy buffoonish abbott and costello comedy and La La Land musical larger than life performance, you get 3 vastly different character portrayals it's quite amazing, dudes top notch.
Hey Yo ! My All TIME Favs are Drive & Blade runner 2049 too ! Glad that I found u ✌️
Too much talking!!!!!!!!
Ryan Gosling is essentially an anti-hero in this film. He's basically a functioning psychopath with a heart of gold. Two traits psychopaths exhibit is they don't tend to experience fear (hence the high speed stunt driving) and their ability to tap into uncontrolled rage which is why he comes across as extremely violent and unhinged at times.
So happy Tyler didn't warn you about the gore and violence 😂😂 your reactions to all the gruesome deaths was hilarious lol
I'd recommend The Nice Guys for another great Ryan Gosling performance, though in a completely different direction. Buddy-cop action-comedy with Russell Crowe, directed by Shane Black.
The chemistry in this film is thick as lentil soup. I love the longing stare sessions so much.
I think Mulligan’s contribution to making this movie work is underrated
Drive is one of my fondest movie theater experiences. I know a lot of audiences were caught off-guard, expecting a more conventional action movie because of the marketing. There was even a nuisance lawsuit for false advertising. But for whatever reason, the crowd at the Seaford Cinemas on Long Island was hip to the Winding-Refn vibe. *Chefs kiss*
The actor who plays Bernie in this film (Albert Brooks) is also the voice of Marlin in Finding Nemo/Dory... makes one wonder how Nemo really ended up with his "lucky" fin!
There is an analysis of this movie's cinematography approach somewhere on UA-cam. It divided the movie up into quadrants and used that framing model to show how different smaller stories are being told in each quadrant, and how they are being used to support the main visual narrative. One of my favorites of the 2010s!
Shooting someone in the head is messy. Knives are more intimate and quiet, like lovemaking.
(Feb 27, 2024)
10:00 15:03 16:18 18:02 18:55
Though I'm not typically a big fan of electronica or house music, this was actually the first movie where I could feel in the theatres the music really impacting my viewing of it. It just put me in such a mood while watching the movie and as soon as I got home I immediately had to find and download the soundtrack, lol.
Your screams during all the gore scenes were just perfect 🤣🤣 you always make such fun videos with great insights. Keep up the cool work!
You HAVE to watch Nightcrawler! One of Jake Gyllenhaal's best performances!
"Can they not just put a doll in there?" - Sure, when dolls start being able to drive.
My now hubs says he fell in love with me when I whispered 'if he crashes this Mustang'. Lol!!
Glad you liked it so much natalie, this movie soundtrack featuring Kavinsky and College propelled a lot of people in the Synthwave genre of music. 🎶
Fun fact: Nat said it this movie was polled 2-3 times.. It was actually featured in 8 different polls on Patreon without winning xD
The quintessential "Literally Me" movie.
The scorpion jacket has two significant meanings. The first is the fable of The Scorpion and the Frog which is mentioned. The second is because Gosling has before mentioned his interest in superheroes, but has never wanted to be part of a lengthy contract. So he liked the idea of the jacket being used like a superhero costume and that Drive is his superhero film. Strangely enough he’s now signed up to a trilogy of Gray Man films. I guess with those films being direct adaptations of books he’s fine with that, while comic book films tend to do their own thing.
The Soundtrack featuring Kavinsky was amazing
Albert Brooks (Bernie)was also great as a sinister brutal mobster, and I would love to see him as a lead in a crime movie. Also gruesome as some of the scenes are it does reinforce the story and isn't violence for the sake of it. Great movie.
That freeze frame on the thumbnail though. Absolute gold
It would make for a great poster for some 80s slasher
This film (one of my all time favorites btw) is based on an excellent novel by James Sallis. It can help answer some of the questions.
For one thing, Gosling's character has no name, he's simply called Driver.
For another, he doesn't have any special badass background, just left home at a young age and ended up getting involved in some shady business.
Finally, the end isn't meant to be ambiguous, left up to the viewer's interpretation, whatever. It's explained in the novel that he lives and eventually gets killed in a bar fight years later. The novel even has a sequel titled Driven that takes place between the events of the first novel and Driver's eventual death.
Like some have said, this movie didn't do as well as it deserved thanks in large part to the advertising. The trailers propped this film up as being akin to F&F, all action and fast cars. So the majority of people who went to see it were the type who enjoyed dopey, hollow, slack-jawed action films, and what they got instead was a masterpiece, so of course they left the theater angry. Meanwhile, the people who might have actually enjoyed the film avoided it because they were put off by the idea of another F&F. If the studio had actually had some faith in the film and advertised it properly it might have actually done quite well. Anyway, I'm always happy to see someone else finding this movie and enjoying the hell out of it.
10:40 one of the reasons i have a love affair with this movie is how genuine the chemistry is. You really do feel like youre witnessing a secret moment
This is a great movie and it's a remake of the movie " The Driver " starring Ryan O'Neal. In the original movie the driver only say 350 word total.
Drive is my personal 2011 Movie of the Year. The Academy practically ignored it, which pissed off a lot of fans and critics. Glad you enjoyed it.
I remember the first time I saw this, Driver left me feeling anxious all the time. Ive met dudes like that, they're fucking terrifying, always on a constant knife edge