10 Best Neo-Noir Movies Of The 21st Century
5. Drive
Although Drive turned out to be one of the more divisive films of 2011 - in large part due to misleading advertising that promised something closer to Fast and Furious than Blue Valentine - it's become one of the most respected and popular neo-noir films of the new millennium.
Director Nicholas Winding Refn did a remarkable job capturing the spirit of early Michael Mann films, right down to the soundtrack.
Ryan Gosling has proven himself more than capable of acclimating to the genre, as he's since played similarly meditative, unexpectedly psychotic characters in Only God Forgives and The Place Beyond the Pines. But his work as the unnamed stuntman in Drive is by far his most satisfying James Dean-meets-Patrick Bateman portrayal.
Drive is a slow-burner right up until it scalds you in the face with unwavering scenes of grotesque violence.