Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Trite action movie has mild language, product placement.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Drive (2019)
What's the Story?
In DRIVE, Vibha, a corrupt bureaucrat, has gotten word that a thief known only as "King" has just robbed a jewelry store and plans to rob the official residence of the President of India. The bureaucrat has been hiding stolen monies in the basement of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, and so she enlists the help of her assistant Hamid, who enlists the help of a hacker, in order to discover the identity of "King" and to stop him in his tracks. Meanwhile, an illegal street racing gang led by Tara, Bikki, and Naina are also in search of "King." Vibha sends in a Formula One Driver to infiltrate the gang, but when the debonair and mysterious racer Samar arrives on the scene and earns their trust and respect, Tara and the gang begin to suspect that Samar might be "King." After retrieving gold hidden in an abandoned police outpost, the gang forge a bond after a lost weekend in Tel Aviv. After this, still suspecting that Samar is "King," the gang, with Samar's active assistance, plan to infiltrate the Rashtrapati Bhavan, planning the heist of billions to be converted into diamonds and, if it all works out, deposited in the Bank of London.
Is It Any Good?
This movie trite as trite gets. It's fitting that the title of this movie is Drive, as there are already, according to IMDb, at least 80 movies, shorts, and television programs with the same name. The 2019 Drive resorts to bad CGI to try and copy the high-speed sportscar street races and chases of The Fast and Furious franchise, and all the stylistic razzmatazz of any heist movie of the last 20 years. It's an overlong and confusing mess of a movie, chock full of cliched characters, most of whom seem only motivated to win illegal streetcar races, steal gold, and overuse their selfie sticks during lost weekend montages.
Indeed, none of the characters are remotely likable or interesting enough to care if they succeed on their caper or not. The chemistry between the leads falls as flat as the plot twists. By the time we learn who the real "King" is, there's more relief that the movie is over than any satisfaction over "the big reveal." Furthermore, the obnoxious product placement of a Mumbai sports car concern throughout the movie is rivaled only by what McDonald's went for in the '80s anti-classic, Mac and Me. Drive is definitely on the "waste of time" part of the spectrum of Netflix's "kitchen sink" international movie production.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about action movies. What's the appeal?
What are some of the ways in which Drive copies other more successful action movies?
This movie features constant product placement. What are your thoughts on product placement in movies?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 1, 2019
- Cast : Sushant Singh Rajput , Jacqueline Fernandez , Vikramjeet Virk
- Director : Tarun Mansukhani
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Transportation ( Cars & Trucks )
- Run time : 119 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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