The Driver (Ryan Gosling) has no name and no signs of any real personal life. He barely speaks and rarely shows any real emotions. The Driver works as a Hollywood stunt driver by day and a getaway driver for criminals by night. The cars the Driver uses are provided by his mentor and boss, Shannon (Bryan Cranston)a crippled, washed-up body shop owner. On criminal missions all he does is drive. He doesn't plan any of the heist details and he doesn't carry a gun. He gives his clients a five minute window to pull off their jobs and get back in the car. If they do their jobs right and are out in five minutes, then the Driver guarantees a safe, successful getaway. The Driver lives in an inconspicuous apartment complex, in a sparsely decorated room, down the hall from an attractive young woman named Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her six-year-old son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). One day the Driver helps out when Irene's car breaks down and she invites him back home. Over a glass of water, she explains that her husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac) is in prison and she is raising her son alone.
