 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Drive
- Review Date: September 16, 2011
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Crime drama is exciting, well-made, and shockingly violent.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this superbly made crime drama (which won the prestigious Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival) starts off quietly but eventually contains shocking amounts of violence, including a woman's head getting blown apart by a shotgun blast and the main character stomping a man's head until it squashes like a pumpkin. Language is also very strong, with multiple uses of "f--k," "s--t," and "p---y." Several women are topless in one long scene, and the two main characters have a romantic relationship even though she's already married. The main character is a criminal without many redeeming qualities, but he's still fascinating.
What's the story?
The "driver" (Ryan Gosling) drives stunt cars for the movies by day -- and by night he hires out his services for criminals who need getaway cars. He works with hard-luck-but-cheerful mechanic Shannon (Bryan Cranston) on both jobs. He's incredibly skilled, lives a quiet, simple, Zen-like life, and has all his bases covered -- until he meets his pretty neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan), and her young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). When Irene's husband is released from prison, the driver reluctantly agrees to help him on a job that will get him out of debt and out of trouble. But everything goes wrong, and the fallout leads back to a pair of sinister thugs (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman). Can the driver steer a way out of this mess?
Is it any good?
Danish-born director Nicolas Winding Refn isn't exactly a household name, but he might be after DRIVE; he might also elicit comparisons to Quentin Tarantino, which would be entirely deserved. Drive is steeped in movies, especially moody 1980s films by Ridley Scott, Michael Mann, and William Friedkin, as well as any genre films about stoic, secretive heroes -- but at the same time it feels like something new. Its style prevails over its substance, but what style!
But that's not meant to disparage the film's substance; clearly Refn adores actors, and he finds many tiny moments of warmth, adoration, and humor within the film's steely surface. In one impeccably framed scene, the driver and the girl merely smile at one another, hinting at untold depths. Every actor delivers his or her best work, especially the colorful villains and sidekicks. Only the movie's extreme, shocking violence could get in the way of total adoration for this sublime piece of genre work.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the impact of the movie's extreme violence. How does it compare to what you see in horror movies? Which is more upsetting? Why?
Is the main character a "hero"? Are viewers meant to find him sympathetic even though he's a criminal? What makes "bad guy" characters compelling?
What is the movie's attitude toward women? What are the female characters like? Are they three-dimensional?
Is the little boy in this movie ever in true danger, or is the danger only suggested? What's the difference?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
I love this movie
I do not understand why theres a bad review of this movie.........an instant classic the taxi driver I personnally love this movie and many other also does theres nudity and gory scene but come on its a rated r movie what do you except
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AGE
Pointless Nudity
What is the point of the long topless scene? I do not understand why there is pointless nudity in so many movies today...
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Kid, 11 years old
September 23, 2011
AGE
ok movie. kind of disapointing.
Too much language and violence, and disapointing endng. There were a lot of random scenes that didn't make any sense.I was good though. Pointless nudity.
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AGE
Not so good.
I saw this movie and I don't know whiter to like it or hate it. It was very strange. There is nudity but its too show how bad guys hang out with strippers. The beginning was great and intense but then the girl comes into the movie with her son and it gets boring. Driver gets a job driving the car from a robbery but things don't go as planned and this is when I got totally lost. The violence is very graphic. Not just blood but eyeballs, slashing body parts, etc. Not for the faint at heart.
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AGE
incredible film. incredible gore
i really forgot about the film being R rated till about 20 minutes in. With many moments of graphic gore, it will turn away some but was amazingly well made.
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Kid, 11 years old
October 11, 2011
AGE
okay movie
Over the top violence and pointless nudity in not very well done film.
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AGE
violent wierd movie
Extreme violence and pointless nudity and strong language. Warnings: Strong brutal bloody violence, Strong language throughout, and some nudity.
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AGE
Nudity pointless as usual, typical reflection of the misogynistic attitudes in cinema.
Like most movies in today's media, pointless sexist nudity scenes portraying silicone women, no need for it, just thrown in there for the men as usual, making it off putting for female viewers, and inappropriate for kids unless 18 and above.
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AGE
Drive
This is my favorite movie of 2011. I'm honestly surprised that so many people are put off by the short scene of nudity. Just breasts. There isn't ridiculous sex scenes or overly sexual dialogue. The violence however, is very shocking and brutal. There isn't as much language as most other R rated movies. There is some, but it's not at the level as some of the comedies out there. The cinematography was amazing and the acting was outstanding. Please check it out, it's worth buying.
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AGE
Oh the nudity, it turns our kids into satanists, yet we are completely fine with the violence *derp face*
Ok, I am fine with someones head getting crushed and stamped on repeatly by a foot and I am fine with all the scenes of people graphically getting killed, I mean they probally had families or lives of there own, but I'm far too cynical to care about the value of human life. What I am not ok with is the nudity in that scene scene, where he threatens and nearly kills that guy - I'm trying to enjoy this guys death and when boobs are staring at me I lose it. (this is how all the moronic parents on this website act)
Enough sarcasam though, I am appuled and simply horrified that you f**king morons have the ordasity to rant and rave about the harmless non-sexualised nudity in this film, yet are completely fine with the graphic violence and human life being taken like that. Ask yourself what is more damaging to the mental well being of a child? Harmless nudity or someone's head getting blown off by a shotgun? And this is all coming from a 16 year old in Britian were this film is rated 18 and on the BBFC's report of the film, they don't even mention the nudity, but because you americans (on this site) have such a deformed view on sex and nudity, you go apesh*t over the slightest bit of skin - you guys really need to sort out your morals.
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| Studio: | FilmDistrict |
| Director: | Nicolas Winding Refn |
| Cast: | Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan, Ryan Gosling |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 100 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 16, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | January 30, 2012 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | strong brutal bloody violence, language and some nudity |
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