British director and screenwriter Edgar Wright once again creates a heart-stopping film that leaves his audience stunned. Like some of his previous movies including Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and The World's End, Edgar Wright combines his unique sense of humor with intense action scenes, plot twists no one sees coming, and “one killer soundtrack,” to create a perfect mix of elements in his movies that anyone will enjoy.
With a "hum in the drum" or a “ring in his ear” caused by a childhood car accident in which both his parents died, Baby, the main character who is played by the Fault in Our Stars actor Ansel Elgort, listens to music wherever he goes. This includes on heists and casual trips to the coffee shop. Forced to be a getaway driver to pay off his debt due to a previous robbing spree earlier in his life, Baby becomes mixed up with the crime boss Doc (played by Kevin Spacey), and Doc’s always changing team of criminals. On this team are Buddy (played by Jon Hamm), Darling (played by Eiza González), and Bats (played by Jamie Foxx). Besides being a getaway driver, Baby lives in an apartment with his foster dad Joseph, who uses ASL since he cannot speak. Also, as in most films, Baby later finds himself falling in love with the waitress Deborah or Debbie (played by Lily James), who shares Baby's love of music and dream of hitting the road.
The basis of this film is the music soundtrack which was arranged by Steven Price. The movie starts off with the song Bellbottoms by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion to accompany the first heist scene. A masterpiece of its own, Bellbottoms gives the audience an adrenaline rush as the beat of the song is matched up with the car chase scene. This establishes the role of music in the movie, and how the music pairs with the "mood" of a scene or with certain dialogues. An example of this includes when the song, When Something Is Wrong With My Baby by Sam and Dave plays as Baby enters the diner where Debbie works with Doc’s team, exemplifying his fear of Debbie seeing the kind of people he works with and potentially involving her with them.
Though Baby Driver follows certain stereotypes such as a Bonnie and Clyde parallel, one major villain that arises towards the end, the statement of "one last job" that Baby has left until his debt is cleared, Baby's backstory, and the portrayal of Darling and Deborah, Edgar Wright portrays these stereotypes in a way that does not allow for much criticism.
Personally, I have seen the movie a total of three times, and I can confidently say that every time you watch the movie, it gets even better. The more you see it, you also start to notice little things that Edgar Wright had put in the film, such as foreshadowing what would later happen in the movie by showing specific things on the T.V. in Baby’s and Joseph’s apartment.
Already named #14 in “Best Movie of the Year,” #9 “Most Discussed Movie of 2017,” and #10 “Most Shared Movie of 2017,” Baby Driver is a must see for someone looking for the perfect mix of action, thrill, and music, and anyone generally searching for a great movie.
