'Drive' Owes Everything to This 93%-Rated Forgotten Neo-Noir Thriller You Need to See

In 1967, this movie was expected to be just another crime thriller, but it became much more than that.

John Boorman's Point Blank, starring Lee Marvin, bridges the gap between classic film noir and its modern reimagining, as well as between traditional Hollywood and the New Wave.

Steven Soderbergh and Nicolas Winding Refn are among its many fans today, and Drive would not exist without it. However, the general public has all but forgotten this masterpiece.

What Is 'Point Blank' About?

Walker, a career criminal, is betrayed by his partner, Reese, during a robbery. Reese shoots Walker, steals the money, and flees with his wife, Lynne. Miraculously surviving the shooting, Walker escapes Alcatraz and begins a long journey of revenge.

However, things turn out to be more complicated. Reese gave the stolen money to a major crime syndicate to pay off a debt. Now, Walker must climb the criminal underworld's hierarchy from low-level underlings to the organization's leaders to get his money back.

'Point Blank' Is a Triumph of Form Over Content and a Harbinger of a New Film Language

Director John Boorman broke with genre conventions by rewriting a typical noir plot in the spirit of European arthouse cinema. Point Blank is characterized by a psychedelic rhythm, brisk editing, and swirling soundscapes.

For example, the character walks down a corridor, the clicking of his heels transitions into the next scene, where a calm sequence suddenly explodes into unmotivated gunfire. Past and present blend together – Walker's memories are so vivid that viewers lose track of the truth.

Point Blank resembles a jazz improvisation: the plot is simple, but the form is sophisticated and captivating. Boorman employed techniques that would later become the signatures of Jean-Luc Godard and Alain Resnais, applying them to American crime cinema.

'Point Blank' Significantly Influenced 'Drive' and Modern Neo-Noir

The influence of Point Blank on Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive is clear. Both films feature taciturn, sullen protagonists who exist more than they act and both films superimpose European arthouse aesthetics on an American genre plot.

Most importantly, however, both movies explore the protagonists' inner worlds, their traumas, and their memories. Walker is as silent and withdrawn as Driver, he doesn't want to kill, he just wants his money back.

Boorman's movie bridged the gap between old film noir and its 1970s revisions, influencing filmmakers in the 2000s. Steven Soderbergh cites it as one of the key movies that influenced his work, and Point Blank itself remains an underrated masterpiece waiting to be rediscovered.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Point Blank'?

• Point Blank has 93% from critics and 83% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.3/10.

• On Letterboxd, Point Blank scored 3.9/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Point Blank'?

Point Blank is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.