Dafne Keen has never been interested in playing it safe. After breaking out as the ferocious young mutant Laura in Logan, anchoring HBO’s ambitious fantasy His Dark Materials, and recently stepping into blockbuster territory again with Deadpool & Wolverine, Keen has built a career on intensity and emotional risk. Now, she is pushing that instinct further.

A British crime romance that places her opposite Aidan Gillen, an actor synonymous with quiet menace thanks to Game of Thrones and Peaky Blinders. The pairing alone signals a sharp turn into darker, more adult terrain.

As reported by Variety, Dafne Keen takes on what appears to be her most challenging role to date in Driver. By portraying Camden, a young woman who is working as a s-- worker, she navigates the brutal economics of life on the margins. Sharing the screen with her is Aidan Gillen, who plays Dickinson, a dangerous and manipulative figure whose past connections threaten to suffocate any hope of escape. Keen has spoken openly about why the project resonated with her. 

“I can’t wait to dive into such a complex role in Patrick’s honest, raw and compassionate story. Patrick finds light in the dark and this is a world I had to be a part of,” she shared with Variety. 

Notably, her involvement in the project also presents her as an executive producer on the film, per Variety. Patrick Ireland, the filmmaker of the film, turns the lens toward systemic exploitation, examining how class, crime, and emotional dependence intersect to keep people locked into cycles they did not choose in Driver.

“It’s a profoundly human story about the courage it takes to reclaim one’s life, and how, together, we might be able to confront a society that exploits us all," Ireland said.

'Take That’: Netflix Lines Up Premiere for Docuseries on British Boy Band

With Dafne Keen and Aidan Gillen leading the cast, Driver unfolds in the shadows of London’s nightlife, but how does it expand? 

Written by Patrick Ireland and Jessica Romagnoli, Driver is set almost entirely in London’s nocturnal underbelly. This after-hours setting is central to the story’s tension, mirroring the emotional isolation of its characters. At the center is Trey, a withdrawn ex-con who survives by driving through the night, ferrying people who rarely ask questions and never offer stability. His routine fractures when he meets Camden, a sharp, restless young woman working as a call girl.

Director Ireland brings a distinctive perspective to the material. Known for award-winning short films such as One in a Million and Ill Fares the Land, as well as broadcast work for ITV, Ireland has built a reputation for socially grounded storytelling that prioritizes character over spectacle.

That pressure intensifies through Dickinson, played by Aidan Gillen, a calculating figure from Trey’s past whose influence is both psychological and violent. Produced by Playhouse Pictures, Driver positions itself as a character-driven British crime romance.

With Driver, Keen, who might be making an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday as well, and Gillen appear poised to deliver performances rooted in restraint rather than excess, the kind that stay with you long after the screen fades to black. 

What do you think about Dafne Keen’s bold new direction and this unexpected pairing? Share your thoughts and join the conversation.