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Every now and then a film comes out that redefines “cool.” It seems to have an impact on every piece of pop culture that follows it – from other films that pay tribute to it, to music, to television, to everything else under the sun. Think of the waves of parodies that can be followed by films like this The Matrix or pulp Fiction. They had their own unique look. This film was in 2011 Drive. The silent anti-hero. The synth wave of the 80s. The slow motion. Drive was iconic and we still feel its impact today – Stranger Things, The guest and all sorts of vaporwave nostalgia Drive a great gratitude.

Drive is completely self-aware and knows how clever it is, but never falls into parodying the films it lovingly pays homage to. If anything, his confidence is part of his overall seriousness. Drive is a film with heart. The reason the film is exciting isn't because of the chases, action or chaos. It's exciting because we care about what happens to his characters. When the unnamed driver (played by Ryan Gosling) stomps on a man's head, it's not a “Whoa, cool!” moment. It is full of tragedy as he knows that his quickness to resort to cruel violence is part of his nature and represents a point of no return for him.

Driver works as a movie stunt driver by day and is a getaway driver for robberies at night. His rules are simple: “You give me a time and a place, I’ll give you a five-minute window. In these five minutes everything happens and I am yours. No matter what. Everything happens on both sides for a minute and you’re on your own.” In the first chase scene (in a movie called Drive, I love that there are only two car chases), the driver plays a game of cat and mouse with the police instead of beating the car and dodging through crowded streets like Bullitt. He accelerates to give his car an advantage, waits in the shadows, listens to the police scanner and psychologically stays a few steps ahead of his pursuers. And at a moment when it's too cold, he drives the car into a crowded area, puts on a hat, takes off his jacket and blends in with the crowd. Job done. Cue the main title sequence.

Irene is his neighbor in an apartment complex that you don't usually see in movies. In movies, when a character doesn't have a lot of money, they still always live in a place with a nice view and modern appliances. The apartment complex in Drive is something realistic and typical LA. It looks lived in. It looks real. Drive is to LA as war of stars is its own fantastic science fiction universe.

When Driver meets Irene, they are immediately attracted. He falls in love with her, but she has a problem: a husband named Standard (Oscar Isaac, who remains one of the best actors alive today) is about to be released from prison. Driver agrees to help Standard with some problems he's having, namely with gangsters who say he owes them money. Driver organizes one last heist to get the gangsters the money they say they owe them. Then comes the agreement that they will finally leave Standard and his family alone. There are internal organized crime conflicts between Bernie (Ron Perlman) and Nino (Albert Brooks) and the “family” back home. The driver inadvertently gets caught in the middle and becomes a complication that would be better eliminated.

Drive Winding remains Refn's most accessible film, but still features the director's trademarks and flourishes for which he is known. There are long, hallucinatory stretches of silence. Apparently, large portions of the dialogue were cut when he was hired as director and red-penned the script. Refn loves telling a story visually to the point of obsession. There is sometimes a saying in his writings that he seems to have taken to heart: Why tell it when you can show it?

As focused as it may be on visual elements, Drive actually seems to be enjoying the acting and performances, watching someone like Bryan Cranston, as Driver's good friend and mentor Shannon, hobble around, chain smoke, and advocate for life lessons in a gravelly voice. The ensemble cast is amazing. Christina Hendricks appears in a supporting role to help with the heist and get Standard out of trouble. Albert Brooks plays against type as a sympathetic villain. Ron Perlman plays Ron Perlman, wonderful.

Drive is one of those “love it or hate it” movies. If you expect it to be a film in the tradition Fast and the Furious series, only more serious, and with Ryan Gosling in the lead role, you'll probably be incredibly disappointed. If you watch the film knowing that it's an edgy, pretentious work from a European director and that it's less about cars and more about an exploration of violence, you'll have a better idea of ​​what to expect.

Important Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Second Sight presents Drive on a single 4K UHD Blu-ray in a sleeve with new artwork – the scorpion from Ryan Gosling's jacket in the film. “Drive” is presented in 4K from a new master approved by director Nicolas Winding Refn and in Dolby Vision corrected by the film’s original colorist. Viewers can choose between a new Dolby Atmos mix or the previous DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix from the previous Blu-ray release.