It’s a timeless genre: the action-musical. Baby Driver, Edgar Wright’s latest, is a slick, stylish blast of fun, infused with music, adrenaline and automobiles.
With classic songs pulsing through its veins in a way that puts Tarantino to shame, Baby Driver revs its engine in the first minute and rarely lets up, introducing us to a cast of unique and memorable characters, most notably Baby—played by Ansel Elgort.
Elgort requires a few minutes to win you over—and frankly, it takes a few minutes to get into rhythm with Baby Driver’s music-oriented vibe—but once he does, and the film kicks into gear, it’s hard not to appreciate that Wright has once again made a pleasingly original spin on your typical heist film.
Elgort’s Baby is a more accessible version of Ryan Gosling’s unnamed character in Drive, a seemingly kind-hearted dude who loves music and is an ace at driving getaway vehicles—and who, when backed into a corner, will make you pay for it. Pitted against a menagerie of off-kilter characters played by the likes of Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx, Elgort plays the kind of protagonist you wouldn’t mind going on a second ride with (same goes for his romantic counterpart, played by Lily James).
Though Wright’s ability to direct action is often overshadowed by his writing and comedic chops, Baby Driver features several exciting action sequences that blend perfectly with the overall story, one that pulls in elements of heist films, musicals, romances and your typical action-thriller. The story itself is not particularly unique, but it is Wright’s execution that stands apart—Baby Driver looks and feels different than your normal action-comedy, and the audience reaps the benefits.
These differences will likely put off some expecting more traditional fare—my friend who saw the movie with me wasn’t blown away in the way that most critics have been—but there’s no denying that Baby Driver is a refreshingly fun, expertly crafted action-thriller (sorry, action-musical) that hits all the right notes.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.