In a desolate parking garage, an enigmatic figure known as The Driver effortlessly gains entry to a car, hot-wiring its ignition before speeding away. Meanwhile, The Player, played by Isabelle Adjani, skillfully manages a hand of poker at a casino. After placing her bet, she steps away to cash in her tokens while The Driver patiently awaits outside in the stolen vehicle. However, the situation takes a chaotic turn when two thieves ambush the casino, knocking out the guard and making their escape in the same car as The Driver. This prompts a thrilling car chase through the city, culminating in The Driver accelerating straight toward oncoming police cars, deftly evading capture.
Following his escape, The Driver disposes of the stolen vehicle in a junkyard, carelessly leaving behind his hot-wiring shim as he collects his payout. The next day, a relentless Detective, portrayed by Bruce Dern, and his two partners retrieve the car from the junkyard, discovering the shim that ties The Driver to the heist. During a police line-up, witnesses, including The Player, are unable to recognize The Driver, leading her to firmly assert that he isn't the same man she saw at the casino. Despite this, The Detective remains convinced of The Driver's guilt and attempts to extract a confession in vain, vowing to apprehend him eventually.
Meanwhile, a group of amateur thieves attempts a supermarket heist, inadvertently getting caught. In a twist of fate, The Detective offers their leader, Glasses, a deal: cooperate in setting up The Driver for a sting operation and avoid jail time. Despite misgivings from one of the Detective's partners regarding this covert plan, pressure mounts, and they proceed.
Later, during a rendezvous with The Player, the tension escalates when The Detective intrudes upon her apartment. The Driver, hidden away, overhears the coercion taking place. Yet, The Player stands her ground and refuses to identify him, despite the threats thrown her way. In a parallel narrative, The Driver connects with The Connection, who presents a potential job opportunity, leading to a rendezvous with several hard-edged characters in a parking garage, including the intimidating Teeth.
When The Driver turns down the job, tensions flare as he fiercely refuses further advances at gunpoint. The stakes rise again when The Detective visits The Driver, presenting him with the shim as part of a game—a heist for freedom and a chance to outsmart the law. Stepping into the fray, The Driver raises his price and establishes conditions to ensure that Teeth will not be a part of the operation. However, during the heist, things spiral out of control. An alarm is triggered, leading to a violent encounter where Glasses, amid the chaos, shoots a teammate and leaves him for the police, already in flight with The Driver’s getaway car.
Soon, betrayal unfolds as Glasses holds The Driver at gunpoint, asserting the heist was a police setup. A struggle ensues, resulting in The Driver shooting Glasses in self-defense before he escapes with the cash. After stashing the money at Union Station, he checks into a cheap hotel, where a transaction with The Connection is set in motion. However, the tables turn when The Kid conducts a robbery against The Connection, ultimately revealing The Driver’s secrets.
The Player tries to convince The Driver to lie low and wait several months, yet his determination to confront The Detective remains steadfast. In a climactic showdown at Union Station, The Driver retrieves the cash with The Player witnessing the chase that ensues when Teeth snatches her purse and the locker key. The chaotic pursuit culminates in a warehouse where The Driver faces off against Teeth, leading to a deadly confrontation.
With the scene set, The Driver returns to Union Station only to find the police waiting to arrest him. The Detective, basking in his perceived victory, quickly turns irate when The Driver opens an empty suitcase, revealing they've both been outwitted. In an astonishing twist, The Driver walks away triumphant, a free man amidst the chaos left in his wake.
