Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The BMW film series The Hire consists of eight short films (averaging about ten minutes each) produced for the Internet in 2001 and 2002. A form of branded content, the shorts were directed by popular filmmakers from around the globe and starred Clive Owen as "the Driver" while highlighting the performance aspects of various BMW automobiles. The series made a comeback in 2016, fourteen years after its original run ended.
Premise
This series of short films center on a nameless protagonist, known as "The Driver" (Clive Owen), who is a highly-proficient professional driver of BMW automobiles. The plot of each film varies, but all involve the Driver being hired to perform tasks for various clients, typically to transport important individuals and/or cargo while evading pursuing antagonists.
Season 1
Ambush
Starring Tomas Milian
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker
Featured the BMW 740i
Chosen
Starring Mason Lee
Directed by Ang Lee
Written by David Carter
Featured the BMW 540i
The Follow
Starring Forest Whitaker, Mickey Rourke, and Adriana Lima
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker
Featured the BMW 328i Coupé and the Z3 roadster
Star
Starring Madonna
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Written by Joe Sweet and Guy Ritchie
Featured the BMW M5
Powder Keg
Starring Stellan Skarsgård and Lois Smith
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Written by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo Arriaga and David Carter
Featured the BMW X5 3.0i
Season 2
Hostage
Starring Maury Chaykin and Kathryn Morris
Directed by John Woo
Written by David Carter, Greg Hahn and Vincent Ngo
Featured the BMW Z4 3.0i
Ticker
Starring Don Cheadle and F. Murray Abraham
cameos by Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, Clifton Powell and Dennis Haysbert as US agents
Written and directed by Joe Carnahan
Featured the BMW Z4 3.0i
Beat the Devil
Starring James Brown, Gary Oldman, and Danny Trejo
Cameo by Marilyn Manson
Directed by Tony Scott
Written by David Carter, Greg Hahn and Vincent Ngo
Featured the BMW Z4 3.0i
"The Subplot Films"
Season 3
The Escape
Main article: The Escape (2016 film)
Starring Jon Bernthal, Dakota Fanning, and Vera Farmiga
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Written by Neill Blomkamp and David Carter
Featured the BMW 5 Series (G30)
#BMWFilms #TheHire #BMWFilmsseries
0:00 – The Deal Goes Wrong
0:49 – Countdown to Chaos
1:44 – Desperate Escape
2:30 – Aftermath and Reflection
3:49 – Tensions Rise
5:18 – A Question of Truth
6:00 – Hidden Emotions
7:39 – Getaway Tension
9:05 – High-Speed Pursuit
10:30 – Narrow Escape
12:12 – The Gift
13:11 – Trust and Surveillance
14:54 – The Setup
16:00 – Instructions for Tail
17:33 – Paranoia and Infidelity
19:05 – The Waiting Game
20:27 – Eyes Never Lie
21:40 – Losing the Target
22:38 – The Eyes, the Hands, the Voice
24:01 – Diva Drama
25:28 – Escape Begins Again
26:45 – Chauffeur Games
28:44 – Arrival at Venue
29:38 – Mysterious Speech
32:16 – Crossing the Border
33:21 – A War Photographer’s Confession
35:01 – Under Fire
36:00 – One Last Gig
37:31 – Stop Taking the Pictures
38:53 – Loss and Regret
40:36 – A Grand Gesture
42:11 – The Ransom and The Case
43:35 – Burning the Money
45:04 – Linda’s Location Discovered
46:06 – Bridge Search Begins
47:37 – The Rescue
49:00 – The Truth About the Case
51:00 – Salvation
52:03 – Mysterious Cargo Revealed
54:23 – A Threat and a Choice
56:05 – The Truth is Life
58:15 – Soul for a Soul
59:44 – Face in the Hole
1:00:09 – The Agent Returns
1:01:01 – Wager with the Devil
1:03:12 – Godfather Showdown
1:04:20 – One Last Ride
1:05:43 – Maryland Complains
1:06:10 – Human Cloning Controversy
1:07:02 – FBI Closing In
1:08:03 – The Abomination Moves
1:09:08 – The Final Mission Begins
1:10:04 – The Artist and the Driver
1:10:43 – Final Ultimatum
1:11:16 – Driver vs. Pursuers
1:12:58 – High-Speed Combat
1:14:07 – Mercy and Revelation
1:15:09 – Dr. Phillips is Found
1:16:04 – Goodbye, Lily
The BMW film series The Hire consists of eight short films (averaging about ten minutes each) produced for the Internet in 2001 and 2002. A form of branded content, the shorts were directed by popular filmmakers from around the globe and starred Clive Owen as "the Driver" while highlighting the performance aspects of various BMW automobiles. The series made a comeback in 2016, fourteen years after its original run ended.
Premise
This series of short films center on a nameless protagonist, known as "The Driver" (Clive Owen), who is a highly-proficient professional driver of BMW automobiles. The plot of each film varies, but all involve the Driver being hired to perform tasks for various clients, typically to transport important individuals and/or cargo while evading pursuing antagonists.
Season 1
Ambush
Starring Tomas Milian
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker
Featured the BMW 740i
Chosen
Starring Mason Lee
Directed by Ang Lee
Written by David Carter
Featured the BMW 540i
The Follow
Starring Forest Whitaker, Mickey Rourke, and Adriana Lima
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
Written by Andrew Kevin Walker
Featured the BMW 328i Coupé and the Z3 roadster
Star
Starring Madonna
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Written by Joe Sweet and Guy Ritchie
Featured the BMW M5
Powder Keg
Starring Stellan Skarsgård and Lois Smith
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Written by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo Arriaga and David Carter
Featured the BMW X5 3.0i
Season 2
Hostage
Starring Maury Chaykin and Kathryn Morris
Directed by John Woo
Written by David Carter, Greg Hahn and Vincent Ngo
Featured the BMW Z4 3.0i
Ticker
Starring Don Cheadle and F. Murray Abraham
cameos by Ray Liotta, Robert Patrick, Clifton Powell and Dennis Haysbert as US agents
Written and directed by Joe Carnahan
Featured the BMW Z4 3.0i
Beat the Devil
Starring James Brown, Gary Oldman, and Danny Trejo
Cameo by Marilyn Manson
Directed by Tony Scott
Written by David Carter, Greg Hahn and Vincent Ngo
Featured the BMW Z4 3.0i
"The Subplot Films"
Season 3
The Escape
Main article: The Escape (2016 film)
Starring Jon Bernthal, Dakota Fanning, and Vera Farmiga
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Written by Neill Blomkamp and David Carter
Featured the BMW 5 Series (G30)
#BMWFilms #TheHire #BMWFilmsseries
0:00 – The Deal Goes Wrong
0:49 – Countdown to Chaos
1:44 – Desperate Escape
2:30 – Aftermath and Reflection
3:49 – Tensions Rise
5:18 – A Question of Truth
6:00 – Hidden Emotions
7:39 – Getaway Tension
9:05 – High-Speed Pursuit
10:30 – Narrow Escape
12:12 – The Gift
13:11 – Trust and Surveillance
14:54 – The Setup
16:00 – Instructions for Tail
17:33 – Paranoia and Infidelity
19:05 – The Waiting Game
20:27 – Eyes Never Lie
21:40 – Losing the Target
22:38 – The Eyes, the Hands, the Voice
24:01 – Diva Drama
25:28 – Escape Begins Again
26:45 – Chauffeur Games
28:44 – Arrival at Venue
29:38 – Mysterious Speech
32:16 – Crossing the Border
33:21 – A War Photographer’s Confession
35:01 – Under Fire
36:00 – One Last Gig
37:31 – Stop Taking the Pictures
38:53 – Loss and Regret
40:36 – A Grand Gesture
42:11 – The Ransom and The Case
43:35 – Burning the Money
45:04 – Linda’s Location Discovered
46:06 – Bridge Search Begins
47:37 – The Rescue
49:00 – The Truth About the Case
51:00 – Salvation
52:03 – Mysterious Cargo Revealed
54:23 – A Threat and a Choice
56:05 – The Truth is Life
58:15 – Soul for a Soul
59:44 – Face in the Hole
1:00:09 – The Agent Returns
1:01:01 – Wager with the Devil
1:03:12 – Godfather Showdown
1:04:20 – One Last Ride
1:05:43 – Maryland Complains
1:06:10 – Human Cloning Controversy
1:07:02 – FBI Closing In
1:08:03 – The Abomination Moves
1:09:08 – The Final Mission Begins
1:10:04 – The Artist and the Driver
1:10:43 – Final Ultimatum
1:11:16 – Driver vs. Pursuers
1:12:58 – High-Speed Combat
1:14:07 – Mercy and Revelation
1:15:09 – Dr. Phillips is Found
1:16:04 – Goodbye, Lily
