Review of Pusher (1996) by Alex R — 18 Jun 2014

At 26 years of age Nicolas Winding Refn made his feature length debut with Pusher, a flawless piece of filmmaker that ranks among his very best films. I would put this film ahead of Drive and Bronson, and here is the work of a director who has a take no prisoners approach to making films and crafts one of the most stunning crime dramas that I have seen in quite some time.

He would later follow up this film with two more sequels, all terrific, and with a great story, exceptional acting, and pulse pounding, raw intensity, Pusher is a superb film that is very impressive considering the fact that that Refn made this in his twenties.

Pusher is highly engaging from start to finish and is a memorable crime drama that will stay with you long after you've seen it. Refn has an eye for what makes a good crime film, and with Pusher he would prove himself as a talented filmmakers with many other films.

Pusher is a standout debut, and it's one of the most impressive film debuts I've seen since Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. Brilliantly effective, raw, gritty filmmaking, Pusher is an accomplished picture that tells an engrossing story.

Refn doesn't overdo the subject, which in turn makes the film much better, simple ideas make for great cinema, and with Pusher you get just that. This is a brilliant picture of which that shows that Nicolas Winding Refn was able to make a standout picture using so little.

The cast deliver some solid performances, and it elevates the story even more. Combine that with standout direction from Winding Refn, and you have a near perfect picture that is much more elaborate in its ideas and entertainment value than big budget Hollywood movies.

This is raw cinema, a piece of film so riveting that you won't be able to tear yourself away right up to the final shot.