14 Years Ago, This Thriller’s First 9 Hypnotic Minutes Blew Our Minds!

Fourteen years ago, Nicolas Winding Refn made a significant impact on the film industry with “Drive.” This film quickly became a classic, telling the story of a quiet, anonymous stunt driver (brilliantly played by Ryan Gosling), who transforms into a getaway driver for the mob at night.

Awarded for its direction at the Cannes Film Festival, this nocturnal urban thriller is absolutely mesmerizing with its blend of melancholy, twilight, and contemplative moods where poetry meets violence. What better way to deliver this powerful impact than with a grand opening scene?

The opening scene of Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” is actually a post-credits sequence about 9 minutes long that is nothing short of brilliant. During this atmospheric, almost hypnotic moment, the main character, played by Ryan Gosling (who kept an item from the film), gears up for one of his nocturnal missions. A voice, a car, a high-stakes chase with a cool-headed driver, a heist, and mesmerizing music… The mood instantly captivates you.

“Precision Turns Weakness into Strength”

As tense as it is fascinating, this expertly filmed introduction by the Danish filmmaker is a cinematic treat. An incredible nine minutes followed by the actual credits, equally impressive and set to the rhythm of Kavinsky’s track “Nightcall.”

Below, the pre-credits scene from “Drive”:

In 2019, Nicolas Winding Refn shared his thoughts on the opening scene of “Drive” in an interview with Konbini. “One piece of advice I would give is to keep it simple,” he said. “For example, in the opening sequence, we introduce all the key elements in a single shot. The map… him… Los Angeles… And his voice-over listing the rules that govern his life. Especially in films with tight budgets, it’s crucial to be economical, and that means being precise. Precision is one of the most important things. It turns a weakness into a strength.”

“The idea of the first chase scene was to make it an internal experience that we only see through his eyes,” continued the Scandinavian director. “When creating, it’s always important to have a conceptual approach, rather than just filming dialogue or one character then another. It needs to be cinematic.”

The trailer for “Drive”: