The Driver (Drive)

History
The unnamed Driver lives in a low-rent apartment building and works as a mechanic, stuntman and getaway driver. The Driver works anonymously, never for the same people twice, and allows them only five minutes to do their business. He meets his neighbor Irene in the apartment building elevator and later helps her and her young son Benicio when Irene has car trouble at a local supermarket.

Shannon owns the garage the Driver works at and arranges his other jobs. Shannon persuades the mobster Bernie Rose to purchase a stock car for the Driver to race after seeing the Driver's skill. Bernie's business partner is Nino, a Jewish mobster. Nino once had Shannon's pelvis broken when Shannon failed to pay a debt, leaving him with a limp.

Irene has her car towed to Shannon's garage and the Driver gives her and Benicio a ride home. The Driver begins spending more and more time with Irene and Benicio, and later meets Irene's husband, Standard, when he comes home from prison. Standard owes protection money to a gangster, Cook, dating back to his time in prison. Cook beats up Standard, and threatens to come after Irene and Benicio, if Standard does not agree to rob a pawn shop.

The Driver agrees to help Standard pay off the debt by driving him to and from the pawn shop. Blanche, Cook's moll, also participates in the heist. The job goes wrong, and Standard is shot dead by the pawn shop owner as he returns to the car. The Driver flees with Blanche and the money, but a car follows them and tries to run them off the road. The Driver eludes the other vehicle and they hide out in a motel room. The Driver discovers that the amount of money is much more than was expected. After the Driver threatens Blanche she tells him that the chasing car belongs to Cook and that she and Cook planned to double-cross the Driver and Standard, taking the money for themselves. Two of Cook's men attack them in the motel room, killing Blanche and injuring the Driver before he kills them both.

The Driver confronts Cook in his strip club and learns that Nino was behind the heist. Nino sends a hitman to the Driver's apartment building, who the Driver and Irene unknowingly ride the elevator with. The Driver gives Irene a kiss before killing the hitman by repeatedly stomping on his head. Nino explains to Bernie that the money from the pawn shop belonged to the East Coast mafia. Fearing retaliation, Bernie and Nino agree to kill those with knowledge, starting with Cook. Bernie confronts Shannon in his garage and kills him.

The Driver, wearing a latex mask disguise, follows Nino to the Pacific Coast Highway in his car and T-Bones Nino's car onto a beach. With Nino wounded and weakened, the Driver drowns him in the Pacific Ocean. The Driver speaks to Bernie on Nino's phone and they arrange to meet at a Chinese restaurant. The Driver makes a final phone call to Irene to tell her he is leaving, and to thank her for his time with her. At the restaurant, Bernie promises only Irene and Benicio's safety, in exchange for the money. In the parking lot, Bernie stabs the Driver in the abdomen as he pulls the money from the trunk of his car. The Driver fatally stabs Bernie, leaving his corpse and the satchel of money behind. That evening, Irene knocks on the Driver's apartment door, with no answer. The film ends with Driver driving into the night.