It was one of the main influences on the 2011 modern classic Drive.
Our TV movie pick for tonight (Thursday, 19 December) is The Driver, a 1978 neo-noir crime thriller from writer-director Walter Hill (48 Hrs, The Warriors).
It centres on a driver (played in an ice-cool performance by the late Ryan O’Neal, Barry Lyndon, Love Story) renowned amongst criminals in Los Angeles for his getaway skills.
However, he comes to find himself the target of a tenacious detective (a live wire Bruce Dern, The Hateful Eight) and must get help from a mysterious woman (a striking Isabelle Adjani, Possession) to survive.
While it was a critical and commercial disappointment upon release, The Driver has grown in popularity in the decades since thanks to its visceral car chases, its mean and lean storytelling, its gritty yet stylish depiction of nighttime LA and its terrific performances.
It has been cited as an influence on the work of filmmakers like Edgar Wright, Quentin Tarantino and Nicolas Winding Refn, particularly the latter’s similar in tone Ryan Gosling-starring movie Drive.
The Driver is airing on TV tonight on the channel Legend at 11.45pm. It is also available to rent on Apple TV and the Sky Store.
You can check out a very cool trailer for the movie made for its recent 4K restoration below.
Here are the other movies airing on TV tonight
Prey – Film4 – 9pm
This excellent most recent entry in the acclaimed sci-fi action horror franchise takes the series to the 18th century.
The Day of the Jackal – Legend – 9pm
The legendary ’70s political thriller which recently got a hit TV reboot starring Eddie Redmayne.
Everest – ITV4 – 9pm
The 2015 biographical survival adventure film with an ensemble cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin and Keira Knightley.
Pixels – Comedy Central – 9pm
The Adam Sandler comedy about aliens that attack Earth, using old classic arcade games as models for their invasion.
Simulant – Sky Sci-Fi – 9pm
This Canadian sci-fi from 2023 has a decent cast including Jordana Brewster, Robbie Amell, Sam Worthington and Simu Liu.
Blind Fury – Legend Xtra – 9pm
Rutger Hauer stars as a blind, sword-wielding Vietnam War veteran in this ’80s action comedy.
Victoria & Abdul – BBC Four – 9.55pm
This biographical historical drama centres on the real-life relationship between Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and her Indian servant Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal).
The Last of the Mohicans – Film4 – 10.55pm
The incredible epic historical action drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis.
Die Hard with a Vengeance – BBC One – 11.40pm
The brilliant third Die Hard movie and the first one not set at Christmas.
Read more:
- The JOE Film Club Quiz: Week 25 (Christmas edition)
- Netflix has just added a 2023 movie with 99% on Rotten Tomatoes
- A hit buddy cop action movie is airing on TV tonight
- One of the best cinemas in Ireland announces shock closure
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