Disappointing out of Ten

Rating: 7/10 (5 April 2015)

After seeing Refn's Only God Forgives, I was pumped about this movie. I enjoyed Refn's extreme violence and his unique visual style, especially with the lingering shots. And here? Well... I'm in the minority here, but I think OGF is a better movie than Drive. It didn't have the same visual flare and the long drawn out pauses that worked in OGF felt awkward and clunky here. Drive showcases some top-notch performances from Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan and some amazing visual composition by Refn. But, Only God Forgives did it better in a much more spectacular way, even it was far more vague and strange. I also found myself being bored at times, even though I am well-accustomed to Refn's slow burn style. I also found the ending to be a bit flat and anti-climactic. Overall, a good yet disappointing Nicolas Winding Refn film.