The ‘most iconic film of the 21st century’ is leaving Netflix soon

The 2011 movie has a cult following and was considered one of the best of the year.

The ‘most iconic film of the 21st century’ is leaving Netflix soon
Netflix is soon to wave farewell to one of the most popular films of 2011 (Picture: Everett/Rex/Shutterstock)

An achingly cool thriller which served as A-List star Ryan Gosling’s top tier breakthrough will be leaving Netflix in a matter of weeks.

Drive arrived in cinemas in 2011, introducing audiences to Gosling’s quiet unnamed Hollywood stunt driver, who moonlights as a getaway driver for the criminal underworld.

It was praised as ‘the coolest movie ever’, ‘an exhilarating and terrifying ride,’ and ‘one of the most iconic and stylish films of the 21st century’.

The Driver develops a soft spot for his neighbour Irene (Carey Mulligan), although her jailbird husband (Oscar Isaac) puts them all in danger when he’s assaulted and forced to rob a pawn shop to relive his debts, with Gosling’s character offering his help.

Based on James Sallis’ 2005 novel of the same name and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive boasts an incredible supporting cast also including Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, and Oscar nominee Albert Brooks.

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Sadly there’s only limited time left for Netflix subscribers in the UK to enjoy this film before it’s removed from the platform in early April.

Drive was Oscar-nominated and launched a new phase in star Ryan Gosling’s career (Picture: Everett/Rex/Shutterstock)

The film received an Academy Award nomination for best sound editing and was widely considered one of the best films of the year after premiering at Cannes Film Festival where Refn won a prize for his directing.

Drive was a box office success to, grossing $81.4million (£62.7m) on a reasonably modest budget of $15m (£11.5m).

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It’s also since developed a cult following thanks to its slick, neon-drenched aesthetics and pulsing soundtrack and has an impressive 93% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

‘A classic tale of revenge, love and madness is given a refreshing polish and shine by director Nicolas Winding Refn. Drive is one of the year’s very best,’ enthused IGN in its review, while Access Hollywood called it ‘a brilliant work of art that’s bold, daring and unpredictable’.

The movie, which also stars Carey Mulligan (pictured), is well-loved for its aesthetics, performances and soundtrack (Picture: Everett/Rex/Shutterstock)

‘By no means perfect, although it’s hard to process the flaws while your insides are singing and you can’t catch your breath,’ observed Little White Lies of the movie’s visceral attraction.

‘One of the most iconic and stylish films of the twenty-first century,’ added Backseat Mafia’s review, dubbing it Pusher and The Neon Demon filmmaker Refn’s ‘masterpiece’.

‘One of the best films of all time,’ insisted fan Matt W. ‘This movie is a moving work of art. Perfect movie for the genre. It’s one of those films you watch and think “why didn’t I think of that?” Hugely rewatchable; I find new things each time.’

‘Everything in this movie is fantastic,’ agreed Ed H, while Eric O wrote: ‘This is an ABSOLUTE masterpiece, I have re-watched this movie 5 times and never regretted it.’

Fans have raved over Drive (Picture: Everett/Rex/Shutterstock)

‘This is a Bonafide top 10 movie, period. It doesn’t miss a beat,’ shared another fan, calling it ‘a must see’.

One of the defining parts and movies of Barbie star Gosling’s career, Drive reintroduced the actor to audiences away from his famous 2004 romance The Notebook.

It also formed part of a series of impressive releases over a busy two-year span for him, alongside Blue Valentine, The Ides of March and Crazy, Stupid, Love, earning the actor two Golden Globe nominations in the process.

Drive leaves Netflix in the UK on April 9.

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