Drive Angry
A 2011 exploitation action horror film with mixed reviews.
Drive Angry (also released as Drive Angry 3D) is a 2011 American action horror film rooted in exploitation cinema. It was directed by Patrick Lussier, who co-wrote the screenplay with Todd Farmer. The cast includes Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner, Billy Burke, Charlotte Ross, Katy Mixon, and Tom Atkins. Shot in stereoscopic 3D, the film came out on February 25, 2011, through Summit Entertainment. Critics gave it mixed reviews, and it earned $40.9 million worldwide against a production budget of $45–50 million.
The story follows John Milton, who breaks out of Hell after stealing Satan’s gun—the Godkiller—to kill Jonah King, a Satanic cult leader. King murdered Milton’s daughter and wife and plans to sacrifice Milton’s infant granddaughter to bring Hell to Earth. After interrogating and killing some of King’s followers in Colorado, Milton learns the ritual will happen in Stillwater, an abandoned Louisiana prison. On the way, he stops at a diner and meets waitress Piper Lee. He sabotages her 1969 Dodge Charger, offering to fix it in exchange for a ride.
Piper catches her boyfriend Frank cheating, beats the other woman, and knocks Frank unconscious. Milton steps in, “borrows” Frank’s Charger, and takes Piper along to Stillwater. Meanwhile, Satan’s operative, the Accountant, arrives on Earth to retrieve Milton and the Godkiller. He interrogates Frank, learns Milton’s destination, kills Frank, and poses as an FBI agent to trick state troopers into helping him.
At a motel, Milton has sex with a waitress named Candy. King and his men attack, and Milton kills them with heavy gunfire, leaving Candy traumatized. The Accountant and police chase Milton and Piper, who pursue King’s RV. Milton shoots at the Accountant with the Godkiller, forcing him off a bridge. They follow King to a former church filled with cult members, get ambushed, and are captured. The cult kidnaps Piper and shoots Milton in the eye, leaving him for dead. He wakes, kills the cult, and chases the RV in the Charger. Piper breaks free, fights King, and jumps onto Milton’s car hood. King shoots the Charger’s engine, disabling it.
Milton and Piper meet his friend Webster, who gives them a 1971 red Chevrolet Chevelle SS. Piper learns Milton is undead and that he had to abandon his daughter to protect her, which allowed King to manipulate her into joining the cult. Webster reveals he was a
- Release year
- 2011
- Director
- Patrick Lussier
- Writers
- Patrick Lussier, Todd Farmer
- Genre
- Action horror, exploitation cinema
- Budget
- $45–50 million
- Box office
- $40.9 million
- Starring
- Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner
Lore & Background
The plot follows John Milton, who escapes from Hell after stealing Satan's gun, the Godkiller, to kill Jonah King, a Satanic cult leader who murdered Milton's daughter and wife and plans to sacrifice Milton's infant granddaughter to unleash Hell on Earth. Milton meets Piper Lee, a waitress, and together they pursue King to an abandoned Louisiana prison. Satan's operative, the Accountant, is sent to retrieve Milton and the Godkiller. The film features a violent confrontation in which Milton ultimately destroys King's soul with the Godkiller, then returns to Hell with the Accountant.
Reader's Guide
Drive Angry is notable as a 3D exploitation film that embraces grindhouse aesthetics, with over-the-top action and a supernatural revenge plot. Despite mixed critical reception—a 46% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 44—it has gained a cult following. The film's box office performance was modest, opening at ninth place with a $5 million weekend, making it the lowest-grossing opening of a 3D film released in more than 2,000 US theaters. Its international earnings of $30.3 million slightly offset domestic returns. The film's legacy lies in its commitment to its own junkiness, as noted by some critics, and its place within the 3D revival of the early 2010s. Nicolas Cage was drawn to the project by a scene where his character's eyes are shot out, a concept previously rejected for his film Season of the Witch.
Did You Know?
- Nicolas Cage was drawn to the project by a scene in which his character's eyes get shot out.
- The film was shot in stereoscopic 3D using cameras rented from Paradise FX.
- Three cars driven by Cage in the film are a 1964 Buick Riviera, a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, and a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454.
- The film opened at ninth place at the box office with a $5 million weekend, the lowest-grossing opening of a 3D film in more than 2,000 US theaters.
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