The film premiered on May 20 , in competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival . At its first showing the film received abundant praise and " some of the best responses of the festival , " but Xan Brooks of '' The Guardian '' , who gave it a positive review , said it " ca n't win , wo n't win " Cannes 's top prize . Brooks explained that " I t 's too self-consciously retro , too much a series of cool , blank surfaces as opposed to a rounded , textured drama , " but said that it was his " guilty pleasure " of the 2011 competition , labeling it an enjoyable affair . He said , Over the past 10 days we 've witnessed great art and potent social commentary ; the birth of the cosmos and the end of the world . Turns out what we really wanted all along was a scene in which a man gets his head stomped in a lift . They welcome it in like a long-lost relation . The film was greeted with hoots and howls of joy from the media , with viewers cheering on some of the scenes featuring extreme violence . '' Drive '' received a 15-minute standing ovation from the crowd . The festival awarded Refn best director for '' Drive ''
2011 Cannes Film Festival
2011 Cannes Film Festival
Drive (2011 film)