The unnamed Driver ($Ryan Gosling$) resides in a modest apartment complex and earns his living as a mechanic at a chop shop owned by Shannon ($Bryan Cranston$), while also working part-time as a movie stuntman. However, he harbors a secret life as a getaway driver, a side gig organized by Shannon. His primary rule is to never work for the same criminals twice, and he sets a strict five-minute timeframe for them to complete their heists before he leaves them behind.
Everything changes when he meets his new neighbor, Irene ($Carey Mulligan$), in the elevator of their building. The Driver soon assists her and her young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos), when she faces car troubles at a local supermarket. In a bid to support the Driver's skills, Shannon convinces the Jewish mobster Bernie Rose (Albert Brooks) to invest in a stock car for him to race, in exchange for a significant 70% stake of the earnings. We also learn that Bernie's partner is the aging mobster Nino (Ron Perlman), who has a personal vendetta against Shannon due to a past job that left Shannon with a permanent limp.
As the Driver spends more time with Irene and Benicio, driving them around and bonding—especially during his playful "blinking" game with Benicio—he begins to develop deep feelings for them. However, his newfound happiness is shattered when Irene's husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), returns home from prison. This complicates the Driver's dream of a family life with them. Shortly after, the Driver learns that Standard owes protection money to the intimidating Cook (James Biberi) from his prison days. After Standard is assaulted by Cook, the Driver decides to step in and help.
He agrees to assist Standard in robbing a pawn shop to settle his debts, alongside Blanche (Christina Hendricks), Cook's accomplice. The Driver cleverly steals a new Mustang for the job. While waiting nervously in the parking lot, things take a horrific turn. As soon as Standard exits the pawn shop, he’s tragically shot, leading to a frantic escape with Blanche amid a chaotic chase.
Hiding out in a motel, the Driver discovers they’ve ended up with significantly more money than anticipated—$1 million instead of the $40,000 they initially expected. Tensions rise when Blanche reveals that the car that followed them belongs to Cook, who along with his men plan to double-cross them. A violent confrontation occurs at the motel, resulting in Blanche's death and the Driver sustaining injuries before he retaliates and defeats Cook's henchmen.
The path of revenge continues when the Driver traces Cook to a strip club, uncovering that Nino is behind the whole scheme. As the stakes heighten, the Driver confronts Nino and ultimately exacts his vengeance, drowning Nino in the ocean after an intense battle. The danger escalates when Bernie decides to tie up loose ends by eliminating anyone aware of the money's origins, beginning with Shannon.
In a tense meeting at a Chinese restaurant, Bernie promises to protect Irene and Benicio in return for the cash. However, betrayal brews as the encounter turns violent, leading to a deadly confrontation where the Driver fatally stabs Bernie after being stabbed himself. Left in limbo, the audience is left questioning the Driver's fate. As night falls, he drives away into uncertainty, leaving Irene to knock on his door with no response, while he plays the "blinking" game alone, a bittersweet reminder of his fleeting connection to them.
