2 drivers

Today, you are getting a two for one special. This is not only because you are getting two Ryan O’Neil movies in one week (the first and last time that will ever happen), but because that movie where Ryan Gosling wears a badass jacket is actually a loose remake of an action thriller from 1978.

Author

Tyler Clark
May 17, 2023

Good morning Consumers. Good morning Consumers, This is Please Consume, the newsletter that loves the Godfather and Fast Five equally.

The Driver (1978) and Drive (2011)

Today, you are getting a two for one special.

This is not only because you are getting two Ryan O’Neil movies in one week (the first and last time that will ever happen), but because that movie where Ryan Gosling wears a badass jacket is actually a loose remake of an action thriller from 1978.

They’re two films about a silent dude that drives fast, gets in hot water, and has to get his hands dirty to get out of it.

When an Archetype Sticks

When 2017s Baby Driver released many people criticized it for being too similar to Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 masterpiece Drive.

In actuality, they are both cribbing from the Ryan O’Neil vehicle (pun intended) The Driver.

So, why isn’t this a triple feature if these films are so similar? Well, even with its similarities, Baby Driver does manage to distance itself from its predecessors in style and emotional beats.

On the other hand, when you watch Drive it’s sometimes downright eerie how much it aligns itself with The Driver.

Not that the conversation including Baby Driver is not worth having, it's just not what we’re here to do today.

If you’d like a breakdown of how these films are in an echo chamber along with 1967's Le Samourai then check out Patrick Willem’s fantastic video on the subject, linked here: The Origin of Baby Driver & Drive (video essay)

Fun Fact

When you watch the full 12-minute opening (today’s clip is the 5 min chase specifically) you will see Gosling watching a basketball game on tv and later listening to the game on the radio.

This all leads up to his eventual escape route in the stadium of the game he’s been following.

Great touch Nic!

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