Baby Driver is an exhilarating and action packed thrill ride from start to finish with strong performances, good comedy, and a killer soundtrack integral to the film’s story. Written and directed by Edgar Wright this is an original, fast paced action crime thriller that continues to surprise over and over again with the various twists and turns it takes. Ansel Elgort leads the film as the second most popular character to go by the name ‘Baby’ and without saying many words he adds a lot to many exciting moments and has you believing he really is a crazy talented driver. The supporting cast is very strong with many unique and different characters all backed by great performances. Music is more than just an afterthought for this film, it is integral to the characters and the story, and plays a huge role in the film essentially making it it’s own character.

I will start with the action here because that is the big appeal of this film and it is damn right incredible. Every action set-piece is fast, exciting and isn’t just there for some mindless thrills, there are stakes, there are consequences and it adds to the intensity of each successive sequence. It gives every action scene some individuality and character to set itself apart from the rest by tying it in to the story and what is going on with Baby at that time. Wright keep changing it up and as the film goes on the action gets more aggressive, more dramatic, but it never loses that flavour that is so important to this original movie. The way music plays into or rather dictates the action sequences is genius, the gunshots throughout the entire film are timed to the beat of whatever song Baby is listening to and the speed and ruthlessness of the driving is also carefully defined by the driving. This incorporation of the music could have very easily come across as a cheap gimmick but it stays strong and is integral to Baby Driver’s success.

Edgar Wright is a genius and the story he has written for this film is truly excellent, he takes an original idea and turns it into a gripping feature length film that was never once predictable or boring. The way he goes about introducing you to the characters and developing their relationships in a very smooth and well executed manner is fantastic. You care for these characters, you care for the relationship between Baby and Debora (Lily James) and this is why the action scenes and shit that goes on in the third act is so intense. I wouldn’t make this film any longer and nothing needed to be cut out, it was at a length that was just right for the fast pace to get through everything without missing any key story moments.

As i mentioned, Ansel Elgort really is great in the film, he plays the very tough, serious, driver role really well and at the same time he can also tone it down and get into the vulnerable, emotional moments. It works so well for understanding his character on more levels than the fact that he is just a guy who drives people. You get his backstory, you learn about his current values and it all fleshes out his character to a tee. Lily James is also very good in the film, didn’t have as much screen time as i thought she would but a great companion to Elgort’s Baby. The other supporting cast including Kevin Spacey, John Hamm, and Jamie Foxx were fantastic and this is where a lot of the character comes into the film. All of their personalities were so different and diverse they all added their own little thing to the film that made this whole thing awesome. They are all great, established actors and they really do add a lot to the film, are utilised extensively and by no means forgettable.

So in the end i loved Baby Driver, i went into the film expecting to love it and ended up loving it even more. It was so much fun from start to finish with insane action sequences that are smart and entertaining, allowing you to enjoy a high speed car chase without forgetting about the lives that are at stake. The little comedic beats sprinkled throughout the film add some much needed levity to some pretty dire situations and it is just executed greatly. Edgar Wright has done an incredible job with this original film and everyone should check out this endlessly entertaining thrill ride.

8.6/10