Best Movies like Drive (2011)

Collateral centers on a professional driver entangled in criminal activity over a single night, mirroring the lone, morally ambiguous protagonist in Drive who moonlights as a getaway driver and confronts escalating violence in Los Angeles.

Cab driver Max picks up a man who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin. Collateral is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.2 by 6,384 people. The movie made an estimated total of $220,239,925 in the box office.

The Place Beyond the Pines, like Drive, features a skilled driver drawn into heists and dangerous underworld alliances to protect a family, weaving themes of crime, sacrifice, and unintended consequences around a taciturn central character.

A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician. The Place Beyond the Pines is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 20m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 7.0 by 5,264 people. The movie made an estimated total of $47,135,966 in the box office.

Thief follows a professional criminal navigator through the risks and emotional costs of a high-stakes heist, paralleling Drive's exploration of a solitary man's involvement in meticulously planned crime and his attempts at forging personal connections amid peril.

Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score. Thief is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 7.2 by 865 people. The movie made an estimated total of $11,494,812 in the box office.

Baby Driver shares with Drive a focus on a talented getaway driver operating for criminals, blending high-tension crime with stylized action and the toll of violent pursuits on personal relationships.

After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail. Baby Driver is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 7.4 by 17,019 people. The movie made an estimated total of $226,945,087 in the box office.

Le Samouraï and Drive both depict introverted, solitary anti-heroes immersed in criminal worlds, relying on minimalist storytelling and meticulous professionalism as their leads become ensnared in deadly complications.

After carrying out a flawlessly planned hit, Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts, finds himself caught between a persistent police investigator and a ruthless employer, and not even his armor of fedora and trench coat can protect him. Le Samouraï is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 1967 with an average rating of 7.8 by 1,278 people. The movie made an estimated total of $215,245 in the box office.

Blue Ruin, like Drive, centers on a quiet loner pushed to violence and moral ambiguity when personal motives put him at odds with criminals, creating a tense journey of protection and revenge.

When the quiet life of a beach bum is upended by dreadful news, he sets off for his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. However, he proves an inept assassin and finds himself in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family. Blue Ruin is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.8 by 1,655 people. The movie made an estimated total of $993,313 in the box office.

To Live and Die in L.A. explores the dangers of the LA criminal underworld and the lives of men navigating crime for survival, echoing Drive’s themes of risky alliances and the city's gritty backdrop.

When his longtime partner on the force is killed, reckless U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Chance vows revenge, setting out to nab dangerous counterfeit artist Eric Masters. To Live and Die in L.A. is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 1985 with an average rating of 7.1 by 804 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,307,019 in the box office.

With Nightcrawler, viewers encounter another intense Los Angeles nightscape in which an emotionally detached protagonist enters the city's darker side to pursue a career, echoing Drive’s themes of isolation and dangerous ambition in the urban underworld.

When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran. Nightcrawler is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.7 by 11,877 people. The movie made an estimated total of $47,425,835 in the box office.

Good Time follows a desperate protagonist racing through a city’s criminal landscape, motivated by the need to protect someone close, creating resonance with Drive’s urgent, risk-filled narrative and focus on loyalty.

After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail. Good Time is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 7.2 by 3,174 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,283,369 in the box office.

Heat immerses audiences in the intersecting lives of professional criminals and law enforcement in Los Angeles, reflecting Drive’s heist structure, moral ambiguity, and the impact of crime on personal lives.

Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence. Heat is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 50m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 7.9 by 8,529 people. The movie made an estimated total of $187,400,000 in the box office.

Léon: The Professional features a reserved, skilled figure who becomes a protector to a vulnerable neighbor, paralleling Drive’s arc of its main character risking his safety for the wellbeing of those he cares about.

Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps. Léon: The Professional is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 1994 with an average rating of 8.3 by 16,309 people. The movie made an estimated total of $20,330,788 in the box office.

The American likewise centers on a lone, professional criminal caught in a web of violence while seeking connection and redemption, thematically aligning with Drive’s exploration of risk, identity, and protection.

Dispatched to a small Italian town to await further orders, assassin Jack embarks on a double life that may be more relaxing than is good for him. The American is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 6.0 by 1,535 people. The movie made an estimated total of $67,900,000 in the box office.

The Driver is a direct parallel, focusing on a nameless, highly skilled getaway driver involved in high-risk jobs and dangerous entanglements, establishing many elements that Drive later echoes in tone, narrative focus, and character type.

The Driver specializes in driving getaway cars for robberies. His exceptional talent has prevented him from being caught yet. After another successful flight from the police a self-assured detective makes it his primary goal to catch the Driver. He promises pardons to a gang if they help to convict him in a set-up robbery. The Driver seeks help from The Player to mislead the detective. The Driver is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 31m runtime, released in 1978 with an average rating of 7.2 by 527 people. The movie made an estimated total of $4,900,000 in the box office.

You Were Never Really Here depicts an emotionally withdrawn protagonist who resorts to violence to rescue the vulnerable, closely mirroring Drive’s core premise of a stoic anti-hero risking everything for others’ safety.

A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered—leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening. You Were Never Really Here is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 29m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.5 by 3,086 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,400,000 in the box office.

Point Blank features a cold, calculated criminal navigating betrayal and revenge, which relates to Drive’s focus on underworld conflict, personal codes, and relentless pursuit through a criminal milieu.

After being double-crossed and left for dead, a mysterious man named Walker single-mindedly tries to retrieve the rather inconsequential sum of money that was stolen from him. Point Blank is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 32m runtime, released in 1967 with an average rating of 7.0 by 437 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,200,000 in the box office.

Wheelman follows a getaway driver racing to survive when a job goes awry, directly reflecting Drive’s blend of vehicular action, escalating criminal stakes, and a lone protagonist forced to rely on his skills under pressure.

A getaway driver for a bank robbery realizes he has been double crossed and races to find out who betrayed him. Wheelman is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 22m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.1 by 692 people.

Only God Forgives explores a silent protagonist’s navigation of violent criminal conflict and moral ambiguity, sharing Drive’s interest in sparse dialogue, troubled masculinity, and the repercussions of crime.

Julian, who runs a Thai boxing club as a front organization for his family's drug smuggling operation, is forced by his mother Crystal to find and kill the individual responsible for his brother's recent death. Only God Forgives is a movie from Denmark in English, with a total 1h 29m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 5.8 by 2,612 people. The movie made an estimated total of $10,300,000 in the box office.

Vivre Sa Vie likewise presents a story of individuals making perilous choices in a morally ambiguous world, with characters facing danger and searching for meaning, paralleling Drive’s existential undercurrents and urban setting.

Twelve episodic tales in the life of a Parisian woman and her slow descent into prostitution. Vivre Sa Vie is a movie from France in French, with a total 1h 24m runtime, released in 1962 with an average rating of 7.7 by 708 people. The movie made an estimated total of $24,517 in the box office.

Out of Sight navigates the interplay between crime, romance, and shifting allegiances, much like Drive’s storyline combining heists, dangerous criminals, and a central relationship propelling the action.

Meet Jack Foley, a smooth criminal who bends the law and is determined to make one last heist. Karen Sisco is a federal marshal who chooses all the right moves … and all the wrong guys. Now they're willing to risk it all to find out if there's more between them than just the law. Out of Sight is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 6.7 by 1,432 people. The movie made an estimated total of $77,745,966 in the box office.

Ronin focuses on professional drivers and mercenaries navigating loyalty, deception, and high-stakes chases, connecting to Drive’s premise of a skilled driver enmeshed in criminal operations and violent showdowns.

A briefcase with undisclosed contents – sought by Irish terrorists and the Russian mob – makes its way into criminals' hands. An Irish liaison assembles a squad of mercenaries, or 'ronin', and gives them the thorny task of recovering the case. Ronin is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 7.0 by 2,727 people. The movie made an estimated total of $70,692,101 in the box office.

Hell or High Water explores two central characters turning to crime out of desperation, where loyalty to loved ones and difficult moral choices recall the protective motives and consequences found in Drive.

A divorced dad and his ex-con brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's farm in West Texas. Hell or High Water is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 7.3 by 4,938 people. The movie made an estimated total of $37,600,000 in the box office.

John Wick is propelled by a protagonist forced into violent action by threats to someone important to him, capturing the vengeance-driven motivations seen in Drive’s narrative when its lead acts to protect those he cares about.

Ex-hitman John Wick comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. John Wick is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.5 by 21,096 people. The movie made an estimated total of $86,085,191 in the box office.

The Town uses the structure of an intricate heist gone wrong, a tight-knit criminal underworld, and the challenges of escaping violence for personal relationships, all of which are key to Drive’s dramatic elements.

Doug MacRay is a longtime thief, who, smarter than the rest of his crew, is looking for his chance to exit the game. When a bank job leads to the group kidnapping an attractive branch manager, he takes on the role of monitoring her – but their burgeoning relationship threatens to unveil the identities of Doug and his crew to the FBI Agent who is on their case. The Town is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 5m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 7.2 by 5,745 people. The movie made an estimated total of $154,026,136 in the box office.

A History of Violence tracks a man with a violent past who must re-embrace brutality to defend loved ones, a character journey closely mirroring Drive’s protagonist’s descent into violence for the sake of others.

An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner. A History of Violence is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 7.2 by 3,807 people. The movie made an estimated total of $61,477,797 in the box office.

Bullitt’s narrative is built on a stoic main character and iconic car chases set against a city’s criminal landscape, much like Drive’s blend of stylized vehicular action and reserved but lethal lead.

Senator Walter Chalmers is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross with the help of testimony from the criminal's hothead brother Johnny, who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt. When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses. This thriller includes one of the most famous car chases ever filmed. Bullitt is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 1968 with an average rating of 7.1 by 1,313 people. The movie made an estimated total of $42,300,000 in the box office.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai examines the life of a solitary, principled criminal navigating a code of conduct while embroiled in dangerous underworld conflicts, mirroring Drive’s approach to character and moral tension.

A Black hitman who models after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 57m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 7.3 by 1,430 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,392,768 in the box office.

Layer Cake follows a criminal specialist aiming for one last job but pulled deeper by unforeseen complications and dangerous figures, reflecting Drive’s themes of professional detachment, loyalty, and risky criminal undertakings.

When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin... Layer Cake is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.9 by 2,418 people. The movie made an estimated total of $11,900,000 in the box office.

Michael Clayton pivots around a solitary fixer dealing with moral compromise and explosive consequences in a corrupt world, resonating with Drive’s exploration of personal cost amid criminal involvement and cold professionalism.

A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multi-billion dollar class action suit. Michael Clayton is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 6.8 by 2,018 people. The movie made an estimated total of $92,991,835 in the box office.

A Most Violent Year portrays the struggles of a determined outsider fighting criminal forces in an urban environment, echoing Drive’s examination of morality, ambition, and the lengths one will go to protect family.

A thriller set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically one of the most violent years in the city's history, and centered on the lives of an immigrant and his family trying to expand their business and capitalize on opportunities as the rampant violence, decay, and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built. A Most Violent Year is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 5m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.6 by 1,562 people. The movie made an estimated total of $12,007,070 in the box office.

Eastern Promises centers on the intersection of crime and shifting loyalties within a city’s dark underbelly, mirroring the conflicts and underworld dangers encountered by Drive’s central character.

A Russian teenager living in London dies during childbirth but leaves clues in her diary that could tie her child to a rape involving a violent Russian mob family. Eastern Promises is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.3 by 3,774 people. The movie made an estimated total of $56,106,607 in the box office.

Widows involves civilians taking part in a heist after their involvement in criminal activity leaves them vulnerable, reflecting Drive’s focus on ordinary people pulled into crime for survival and to protect loved ones.

A police shootout leaves four thieves dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago. Their widows have nothing in common except a debt left behind by their spouses' criminal activities. Hoping to forge a future on their own terms, they join forces to pull off a heist. Widows is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 6.5 by 2,505 people. The movie made an estimated total of $75,984,700 in the box office.

Miami Blues presents a charismatic but unpredictable criminal causing chaos within the city’s underworld, echoing Drive’s focus on morally ambiguous characters and escalation of violence following a botched crime.

After Junior is released from prison, he plans on starting a new life in Miami. But when he kills a man in the airport, he flees the scene and finds Susie, a mild-mannered prostitute searching for stability. The two opposites become romantically involved, and Junior steals a badge and gun from a veteran detective. Using the officer's identity, Junior embarks on a crime spree and convinces Susie that he is the perfect man. Miami Blues is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 6.0 by 223 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,888,167 in the box office.

Hardcore, like Drive, spotlights a protagonist delving into the city’s criminal world to protect a loved one, confronting danger and moral compromise along the way.

A conservative Midwest businessman ventures into the sordid underworld of pornography in search of his runaway teenage daughter who’s making hardcore films in the pits of Los Angeles. Hardcore is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 1979 with an average rating of 6.7 by 325 people.

The Yards navigates corrupt alliances and betrayals within a city’s crime-ridden infrastructure, paralleling Drive’s depiction of moral gray zones, trust issues, and personal risk for family.

In the rail yards of Queens, contractors repair and rebuild the city's subway cars. These contracts are lucrative, so graft and corruption are rife. When Leo Handler gets out of prison, he finds his aunt married to Frank Olchin, one of the big contractors; he's battling with a minority-owned firm for contracts. The Yards is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 2000 with an average rating of 6.2 by 531 people. The movie made an estimated total of $889,352 in the box office.

The Mule features a main character drawn into illegal activities within the criminal world, dealing with escalating dangers and strained personal relationships, much like Drive’s exploration of a regular man’s brush with peril and crime.

Earl Stone, a man in his eighties, is broke, alone, and facing foreclosure of his business when he is offered a job that simply requires him to drive. Easy enough, but, unbeknownst to Earl, he's just signed on as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. He does so well that his cargo increases exponentially, and Earl hit the radar of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. The Mule is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 6.9 by 5,417 people. The movie made an estimated total of $174,800,000 in the box office.

Dead Man's Shoes follows a quiet outsider’s quest for revenge and protection, with violence erupting around him, evoking Drive’s character-driven narrative about the personal costs of retribution.

A soldier returns to his small town and exacts a deadly revenge on the thugs who tormented his disabled brother while he was away. Dead Man's Shoes is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.1 by 620 people.

In Bruges deals with criminals confronting past actions and seeking redemption or escape, sharing Drive’s themes of alienation, difficult choices in the aftermath of crime, and the search for meaning.

Ray and Ken, two hit men, are in Bruges, Belgium, waiting for their next mission. While they are there they have time to think and discuss their previous assignment. When the mission is revealed to Ken, it is not what he expected. In Bruges is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 7.5 by 5,874 people. The movie made an estimated total of $34,533,783 in the box office.

Lucky Number Slevin constructs a twist-filled crime narrative where an everyman must navigate vengeful masterminds, deception, and survival, echoing Drive’s plot of ordinary people ensnared in heist-related violence.

Slevin is mistakenly put in the middle of a personal war between the city’s biggest criminal bosses. Under constant watch, Slevin must try not to get killed by an infamous assassin and come up with an idea of how to get out of his current dilemma. Lucky Number Slevin is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 7.5 by 4,547 people. The movie made an estimated total of $56,300,000 in the box office.

The Silent Partner involves an unsuspecting individual caught in the aftermath of a heist gone wrong, forced to outwit dangerous criminals, similarly to Drive’s narrative of a protagonist struggling with the consequences of criminal partnerships.

Toronto, Canada. A few days before Christmas, Miles Cullen, a bored teller working at a bank branch located in a shopping mall, accidentally learns that the place is about to be robbed when he finds a disconcerting note on one of the counters. The Silent Partner is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 1978 with an average rating of 7.1 by 172 people.

He Walked by Night features a criminal pursued through a city’s nocturnal underworld, focusing on careful professionals shaped by violence and evasion, much like the hunted anti-hero of Drive.

Roy Martin aka Roy Morgan is a burglar and former war-time Radio & Electronics Engineer who listens in to radio police calls, allowing him to stay one step ahead of the cops. He Walked by Night is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 19m runtime, released in 1949 with an average rating of 6.7 by 107 people.

Drive a Crooked Road centers on a talented driver tempted into a dangerous criminal plot, entwining personal motives with crime and risk, resonating with Drive’s protagonist’s journey.

A mechanic gets caught up with the mob when he falls for a gangster's girlfriend. Drive a Crooked Road is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 23m runtime, released in 1954 with an average rating of 6.2 by 33 people.

Killing Them Softly explores the fallout of a botched underworld heist and the resulting cycle of retribution, paralleling themes of criminal consequences and relentless pursuit found in Drive.

Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse. Killing Them Softly is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.0 by 2,448 people. The movie made an estimated total of $37,930,465 in the box office.