FILM · 2011 · USA
Drive
- Directed by
- Nicolas Winding Refn
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Studio
- FilmDistrict, Bold Films, Marc Platt Productions
121 archived facts 8 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
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…
Summary: TMDB
80 Interesting Facts About Drive
- #002
While preparing for his role, Ryan Gosling restored the 1973 Chevy Malibu his character drives in the film.
- #003
The Driver and Irene actually say very little to each other because Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan felt they needed to focus more on the mood of their scenes and refused to say many of the lines in the script. Mulligan summed up the making of the film as "staring longingly at Ryan Gosling for hours each day."
- #007
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According to Nicolas Winding Refn, the head-stomping scene was heavily edited because the ratings board felt it was "too violent."
- #008
Despite the driving story, director Nicolas Winding Refn has no interest in cars whatsoever. He does not have a driver's license and failed the driving test eight times.
- #010
When Albert Brooks met Nicolas Winding Refn, he was in character, pinning him against a wall and speaking menacingly. To make his character more emotionless, Brooks shaved off his eyebrows for the role.
- #012
The opening chase scene was shot primarily by Nicolas Winding Refn from inside the car. In an interview, Winding Refn explained that the idea for the scene was to imitate the feeling of a "diver in an ocean of sharks," never leaving the vehicle during a car chase so that the audience could see what was happening from the character's point of view. Because his money and time were limited, he shot the scene in two days. Due to two different setups prepared in the car, the director found it difficult to move the camera, so he would move it to two additional nearby setups. As downtown Los Angeles changed for the better, Refn avoided certain areas to preserve the bleak atmosphere. The scene was also shot from low angles with minimal lighting.
- #013
After much speculation about the possibility of a sequel or spin-off to Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn said in 2016 when asked about it: "No, there will never be a second Drive movie. […] It ends too imperfectly. And that's why it works."
- #014
The film's tagline is the same one used for No Country for Old Men (2007) ("There are no clean getaways").
- #015
Despite the detailed and realistic images of Los Angeles, Nicolas Winding Refn knew nothing about the city. Refn spent most of his time with Ryan Gosling in order to get to know the city.
- #016
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Nicolas Winding Refn sought advice from Gaspar Noé on how to make the head-stomping scene brutal and realistic.
- #018
Although many stunt drivers are credited, Ryan Gosling performed a number of stunts himself after completing a stunt-driving car-crash course.
- #020
Ryan Gosling's performance stands out for its minimalist dialogue, with Driver speaking only a few words at a time. Across the entire film, Driver has just 116 lines of dialogue, totaling 891 words.
- #022
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During a read-through at Nicolas Winding Refn's apartment, it was Bryan Cranston who suggested how his character would die and how his wrist would be cut in a specific way.
- #024
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Nicolas Winding Refn reportedly shot a scene in which the Driver and Bernie actually die after stabbing each other. It was said to be used during an early test screening.
- #026
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Christina Hendricks (Blanche) has less than 10 minutes of screen time despite prominent billing.
- #027
Nicolas Winding Refn almost did not get the job, and the film might not have happened. Ryan Gosling and Refn have spoken about the terrible incident at their first meeting. Refn was sick and delirious, which Gosling interpreted as a lack of interest. On the drive back to the house, REO Speedwagon came on the radio and Refn began singing and shouting, then turned to Gosling and said, "The movie is about a guy who drives around LA at night listening to pop songs." If that song had not come on the radio, the film might not have happened.
- #028
Driver is at his happiest every time he encounters Irene. This is underscored by the song "I Drive," which plays while the two are together.
- #029
There are two hidden scorpions in the film: * While Driver is in the car, just before the scene where he tells the man in the cafe that he will kick his teeth in. It is reflected in the window and takes on a scorpion-like shape. * The second is when he goes to meet Bernie at the restaurant. It is in the lower right corner of the frame as he walks toward the table.
- #033
The crew built the driver's apartment, which included a hallway and an elevator connecting his unit to Irene's. Beth Mickle also built a strip club set in an abandoned building and Bernie Rose's apartment. Transforming a "run-of-the-mill" auto body shop in Los Angeles into a grand dealership was one of the most challenging tasks. She painted the walls electric blue and created a showroom filled with vintage cars.
- #034
The film's music was included in Spin Magazine's list of "40 Movie Soundtracks That Changed Alternative Music."
- #036
Kavinsky's opening title track "Nightcall" was suggested by editor Mat Newman. The song was also used in The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), which Drive costume designer Erin Benach, actor Bryan Cranston and composer Cliff Martinez also worked on.
- #044
According to Nicolas Winding Refn, the film's romance was partly inspired by John Hughes's films.
- #045
Irene and Standard were originally a couple of Spanish origin before Carey Mulligan was cast.
- #046
The film premiered in competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival on May 20. At its first showing to the press it received plenty of praise and earned "some of the best responses of the festival," although one positive review said it "can't win, won't win" Cannes's top prize. Some of the extremely violent scenes were cheered by audiences and met with whoops and howls from the press. It also received a 15-minute standing ovation.
- #047
Originally planned as a blockbuster, the film was ultimately relabeled as an independent film.
- #048
Contains a major spoiler — show
The fork in the eye in Cook's death scene was added to rehearsals weeks later.
- #049
Hossein Amini thought the source novel was a rare book that could be acquired from a studio because it was short, bleak and read like poetry. Amini found the adaptation difficult because the novel did not offer a linear story and contained many flashbacks and jumps in time. He felt the non-linear structure made it "a very tricky structure" for a feature film.
- #050
The mask the Driver wears belongs to SPFX Masks, a company that sells ultra-realistic masks to the public.
- #051
Carey Mulligan lived at Nicolas Winding Refn's house during the time she worked on the film.
- #053
Nicolas Winding Refn drew inspiration from films such as Point Blank (1967), Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), The Driver (1978) and Thief (1981). Jean-Pierre Melville's crime productions influenced the cinematography.
- #054
Carey Mulligan dropped out of Violet & Daisy (2011) in order to make this film.
- #055
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Body count: 10 (Standard, Blanche, two hotel thugs, the tan-suited hitman, Cook, Shannon, Nino (along with his driver) and Bernie).
- #058
The title sequence is a hot pink color inspired by the editing board of Risky Business (1983).
- #059
Most of the licensed songs (such as "Nightcall" by Kavinsky and "A Real Hero" by College) were released between 2007 and 2011, despite their retro feel.
- #060
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The film's alternative/working cut contains numerous subtle additions of dialogue and scenes compared with the final film. The temporary music includes a strikingly different and memorable piece of music in the famous restaurant/showdown scene between Bernie and the Driver.
- #062
Angelo Badalamenti's music was reportedly composed before Cliff Martinez's and appeared in some early versions of the film. Martinez later confirmed that the name was used as a placeholder.
- #063
The film's screenwriter, Hossein Amini, also lived with Refn's family during the film's shoot. During this time Refn and Amini made significant changes to the original script.
- #064
Beth Mickle was hired as production designer on Ryan Gosling's recommendation; they had worked together on Half Nelson (2006). Before shooting, Mickle oversaw a crew of 40 who routinely worked 16 to 18 hours a day. This was her most expensive film to date, and compared with Half Nelson (2006) Mickle felt freer, saying "there was another zero added to the budget."
- #065
The leaked version of this film did not include Cliff Martinez's original music. Instead, this version used many tracks from the score of The Social Network (2010).
- #066
According to Nicolas Winding Refn, the film is dedicated to director Alejandro Jodorowsky and contains some of Jodorowsky's existentialism.
- #068
While going through mixer Johnny Jewel's catalog, Nicolas Winding Refn chose "Under Your Spell" and "Tick of the Clock" because he considered the film a fairy tale. During the climax, the opening melody of "A Real Hero" is avoided because that is the moment the driver transitions into both states. At first Jewel worried that "Under Your Spell" might be too realistic, but he soon realized it was used in Drive "the way I felt when I wrote it. He absolutely understood the nuance of the song and understood what it was supposed to mean and wanted to give the audience that feeling, the same feeling."
- #069
Thinking about music in terms of its basic elements, Johnny Jewel would tell Nicolas Winding Refn that certain scenes should have no bass, because as an earth tone it is usually used for a more emotional or ominous part. For the "dreamlike" scene, Jewel thought the music should be at a high level and soothing. To help with the writing process and to create melodies, the producer followed a procedure in which he highlighted many sentences in the novel, then had those words printed in a large typeface and hung them on his walls, or drew pictures while watching the film.
- #070
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Near the end, when Gosling's character takes the mask from the wardrobe trailer, he reaches for three female masks with no backs. They all belong to Blanche and were probably used for the scene in which she is ambushed at the hotel.
- #072
Producer Marc E. Platt approached Ryan Gosling early about Drive. Platt explained: "I have a list of very talented people whose work inspires me; writers, directors, actors I need to work with before I move on to another career or do something else with my life." At the top of Platt's list was Gosling, who, despite appearing in many films across different genres, had never been in anything like Drive.
- #073
Nicolas Winding Refn's wife pressured him to cast Carey Mulligan because she was a big fan of the actress's performance in An Education (2009).
- #074
Porn star Bobbi Starr initially played the abused wife of Bernie Rose's (Albert Brooks) neighbor Lenny. The scene was cut.
- #077
Editor Matt Newman suggested the opening song "Nightcall" by French electronic musician Vincent Belorgey.
- #078
A total of 13 scorpion jackets were made for the film.
- #079
The film's music was re-scored for the BBC by Zane Lowe for its October 2014 television broadcast. The soundtrack included original music by Chvrches, Banks, Bastille, Eric Prydz, SBTRKT, Bring Me The Horizon, The 1975 and Laura Mvula.
- #080
Nicolas Winding Refn wanted a piece of music from Johnny Jewel of Desire and Chromatics for the film, but the studio had other plans. Instead, they hired Cliff Martinez at the last minute to imitate the style and feel of Jewel's bands Chromatics and Glass Candy.
- #083
The screenplay, written by Hossein Amini, is adapted from James Sallis's 2005 novel of the same name.
- #084
James Biberi, who typically plays police officers in small roles, plays against type as the thug Cook.
- #087
Although Drive is set in the present day, it emphasizes a 1980s atmosphere through its cars, music, clothing and architecture.
- #088
Ryan Gosling described the film as "some kind of crazy cross between Blue Velvet (1986) and Purple Rain (1984)."
- #089
In 2016, Invada Records re-released the soundtrack on vinyl to celebrate the film's fifth anniversary. Invada's edition added new artwork as well as notes by composer Cliff Martinez and director Nicolas Winding Refn.
- #090
The film was shot digitally using an Arri Alexa camera.
- #091
While watching a cartoon, Benicio assumes one of the characters is the villain because it is a shark, and the Driver responds, "Are there no friendly sharks?" In Finding Nemo (2003), Albert Brooks (who plays Bernie in this film) voiced a fish (Marlin) who encounters a menacing-looking shark that turns out to be quite friendly.
- #094
Driver states several times that he carries "no gun." As he says, he manages to stay out of trouble without carrying a weapon.
- #095
Refn chose Johnny Jewel of Desire and Chromatics to score the film. He wanted the electronic music to be abstract at times so that viewers could see events from Driver's point of view.
- #096
Throughout the film, Driver (Ryan Gosling) can be seen chewing Diamond brand toothpicks (the L'Elegance model).
- #097
Casting director Mindy Marin, production designer Beth Mickle and costume designer Erin Benach had all worked with Ryan Gosling before "Drive." The latter had designed different outfits for Gosling on Half Nelson (2006) and Blue Valentine (2010) as well as on this film.
- #098
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Bernie wants to meet Driver on Sherman Way. Albert Brooks (Bernie) voices Marlin in Finding Nemo (2003), who has to reach "P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney."
- #100
Bryan Cranston turned down the role of Sebastian Shaw in X-Men: First Class (2011) in favor of this film.
- #101
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At the meeting at Nino's Pizzeria, a gangster can be seen putting a toothpick in his mouth a few minutes before Driver walks toward the door, as if signaling that he has been spotted.
- #102
It was shot over a period of two months.
- #104
Drive was included in the 2015 edition of "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," but it has since been removed from later editions to make room for new films.
- #105
Laurene Landon, who appears in this film, took a break from acting in 1991 to care for her ill parents and returned to acting in 2006. She appeared in many films during the 1980s.
- #106
At the time this film was released, Ron Perlman and Bryan Cranston were each starring as anti-heroes in separate TV shows: Sons of Anarchy (2008) and Breaking Bad (2008), respectively.
- #108
The film, which received a theatrical release, is an original work created by Nicolas Winding Refn. The MPAA did not request that anything be cut in order to receive an R rating.
- #110
This was Carey Mulligan's second film with a Danish director; the first was Lone Scherfig's An Education (2009). Scherfig had in fact babysat Nicolas Winding Refn when he was a child.
- #111
Ryan Gosling's character wears a jacket with a scorpion on the back. Gosling is himself a Scorpio (born November 12, 1980).
- #112
Before filming, Mickle oversaw a crew of 40 who routinely worked 16 to 18 hours a day. This was his most expensive film to date, and since "there was another zero added to the budget," Mickle felt freer compared to Half Nelson.
- #114
Hossein Amini adapted the novel for the screen. He thought it was a rare book that could be optioned from a studio because it was short, bleak and poetic. Amini found the adaptation difficult because the novel does not present a linear story and contains many flashbacks and jumps in time. He felt the nonlinear structure made it "a very tricky structure" for a feature film.
- #115
The director also said he drew inspiration from films such as Point Blank (1967), Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), The Driver (1978) and Thief (1981). Jean-Pierre Melville's crime productions influenced the cinematography.
- #116
Lauren Landon appeared in "Maniac Cop" (1988), and this film's director, Nicolas Winding Refn, was in talks to direct a new Maniac Cop.
- #117
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At around 94 minutes, Driver kills Bernie Rose while being gravely wounded himself. In the shot, however, Driver is seen immediately afterward with one foot on the ground, then standing up and sitting in his car. On close inspection, Driver is wearing yellow bowling shoes. The blood on the shoe on the ground matches both colors of his jacket: blood-stained blond.
- #118
As Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) cleans Shannon's (Bryan Cranston) blood off his straight razor and puts it back in the display case, he apparently believed he was hiding its use in Shannon's murder; modern forensic science can recover human blood visible only at a microscopic level from tiny gaps in metal surfaces. If any police investigation reached him, whether or not it was connected to this murder, the razor would be taken as evidence and Shannon's blood would incriminate him. For a criminal who seems so knowledgeable, it is a very stupid move.
- #119
As Driver enters Nino's Pizzeria wearing his mask, Ross's lower-priced store clothing is visible. It is a store that sells branded clothing at affordable prices. It was founded in 1982.
- #120
Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman, the actors who play criminals and possibly childhood friends on screen, are both left-handed.
- #121
(At about the 53rd minute) When the door of the pawn shop opens, the sound effect of a metal door is heard. The stock sound effect has been used in countless films, including The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Rock (1996) and Monsters, Inc. (2001), as well as in video games such as Alone in the Dark (1992), Far Cry 3 (2012) and Grand Theft Auto V (2013). It was first recorded by Jerry Ross of Skywalker Sound for Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985).
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