Slow burn thriller, not the 'hi-octane action thrill-ride' you may have been led to believe. Scandinavian director Refn proves that non-US film-making techniques don't always translate well to the big screen, but if you're patient enough with the many long, meaningful pauses, you'll find yourself sucked into this.

With a forced retro style that makes it feel like a lost Steve McQueen flick from the 80s, Gosling masters the strong, silent type and navigates through both silent staredowns and occasional blasts of violence as easily as flirting awkwardly with Carey Mulligan.

The glacial pace and oddly deadened reactions in several key scenes may leave some of the audience fidgeting, but stick with it and you'll get a pretty good ride out of it. If you were expecting 'Fast & Furious 6', well... there's no hope for you really, is there.