By Luca Newton
Absolutely one of my favourite auteurs, I finally sit down and rank Edgar Wright's films, before Last Night In Soho comes out later this year..
Since 2004, Edgar Wright has made 5 films. It sounds like little, however, each and every one of his films have been great. Not one of them is a dud. His quality is undeniably consistent and he is absolutely one of the best current auteurs out there. This year, Edgar Wright is going to release another film in October; Last Night in Soho - a psychological horror film starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie. With the hype for that film, I decided to finally watch The World's End and finally have seen all of Edgar Wright's feature films to date. I also took it upon myself to rewatch his other films to make sure I knew which films I preferred over others.
So, today, much like my Spider-Man ranking..
My Ranking Of Edgar Wright's Films
#5 - The World's End (2013)
Coming in last, unfortunately, has to be The World's End - an honestly hard thing to do. If I am being completely honest, I love The World's End, and so putting it last just speaks volumes to the quality of the rest of the films on this rank. So why is it last if I love it so much? Well, it's literally just because I can't honestly sit down and tell you it's better than the rest. It's not miles below the rest, but it's just not better.
Despite being in last place, I really loved The World's End - the end of the Cornetto trilogy. A trilogy of films that have very little connections except the fact the casts are very similar, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost leading all 3, and a specific Cornetto being referenced in each of the films. They are stylistically similar too. The World's End is about Gary King, a man-child, who never truly grew up. When he was in school, him and a group of mates attempted the Golden Mile, which was basically a challenge where you had to see if you could go to every pub in Newton Haven, and have a pint in each. If you reach the final one called "The World's End", you complete that challenge. Gary and his mates didn't reach it in their youth. However, decades later after everyone else has grown up and made a living, Gary King hasn't grown past that stage of his life, and convinces everyone to go out and do the Golden Mile with him. However, halfway through the Golden Mile, they find out that Newton Haven is infested with robot replacements for the citizens of Newton Haven.
The premise is insane, mixing the Golden Mile with a robot invasion is certainly untraditional, but that's what sells it for me. Edgar Wright really knows how to write genuinely good characters with lots of heart, that are also hilarious. He really prints his signature in these films as distinctly Edgar Wright films. The World's End is definitely that. I'd say the weakest aspect of The World's End was that the characters weren't quite as good as the rest of the trilogy, and it wasn't as funny. But honestly, overall I still really enjoyed how wild the contrast is in the narrative of the film, leading to an insane climax.
#4 - Hot Fuzz (2007)
Next is Hot Fuzz - this one is pretty controversial, to be honest. A lot of people would top their list with this film. So why am I putting this so low? Well, honestly. I love Hot Fuzz, but compared to other 3, I didn't respond to it as positively as the others. Which for this ranking, is actually a really small difference. I think that the pacing of the film isn't as airtight as the rest.
But what is Hot Fuzz? It is the second film of the Cornetto trilogy, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, about an ace policeman, Nick Angel from London, transferred to, the countryside, Sandford. A small town, that is rather unassuming from first glance. However, a string of mysterious murders in the small town gets Nick to inspect the town, and try and figure out the mystery of the murders. The premise alone is great. A mystery film can always be interesting, but especially when it's an Edgar Wright film. Hot Fuzz is filled with incredibly written humour, but a lot of heart, snappy action, and trademark editing. There's definitely a point in the film where it escalates in true Edgar Wright fashion with the town being a cult, that are behind all the murders, and Nick with Danny taking on the whole town. It's exhilarating.
Hot Fuzz overall is an incredible movie that mixes comedy, mystery, drama and action into one police film set in a countryside town in England with a large cult. Which is exactly in-tone for the trilogy it's part of. While it's definitely better than The World's End, I personally preferred the other films Edgar Wright has made.
#3 - Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Reaching the top 3, the first ever Edgar Wright film, and the first of the Cornetto trilogy, Shaun of the Dead. This one is my favourite of the Cornetto trilogy, and overall incredible film. It, like Hot Fuzz and The World's End, finds a mix between heart, humour and action, except Shaun of the Dead is a take on the zombie film, as the name entails. Being a clear parody on the title Dawn of the Dead.
Shaun of the Dead follows Shaun (duh), and his roommate, Ed, have a change in their mundane lives as zombies infect London, and they have to try and take on the zombies singlehandedly, while also attempting to save people important to him. The plot is much more simple than the other 2 by far. Much simple in concept and execution. Yet I prefer it to Hot Fuzz? Well, the simplicity honestly makes it an easier movie to rewatch, and a much more fun film in general. The way the film is executed is absolute classic Edgar Wright, and you can't help but respect the film for establishing those traditions and putting Edgar Wright on the map. There's nothing like it in zombie films, where the pub is where the climax of the film is, with Queen's Don't Stop Me Now playing. It's completely unmatched, insanely fun and well written and acted by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
Shaun of the Dead is the most simple of these films, yet its charm just seams through so clearly, you can't help but have an incredible time seeing a hilarious zombie film set in London. It established Edgar Wright as a legendary auteur, so you can't help respecting it.
#2 - Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010)
In second place, is Scott Pilgrim vs the World, based on the comic series and cartoons which were popular, it has been adapted for a live action movie, and it just absolutely nailed it on the head. As soon as I saw Scott Pilgrim, I finally understood the hype. It is my second favourite Edgar Wright movie.
I guess what really charmed me to Scott Pilgrim was the way it presents itself. It has the best presentation out of all these films, with an undisputedly Edgar Wright flare, with a mix of a geeky aesthetic to it. The film is live action, but is the opposite of grounded. It is structured like a video game, and each of the enemies exploding into coins definitely helps. The film follows the story of Scott, played by Michael Cera, who falls for a girl, Ramona Flowers. However, there is a group of exes of Ramona who are fighting the new boyfriend for Ramona. Scott has to fight each of them individually to win Ramona's heart. It's simple, but genius in its execution. All of Ramona's exes make for really entertaining and action-packed film with endlessly charming aesthetics.
After seeing Scott Pilgrim for the first time, it has become of my favourite movies in a short space due to its immense charm and large heart, which is a staple for Edgar Wright.
#1 - Baby Driver (2017)
And in first place and my favourite, Edgar Wright's most recent film; Baby Driver. The positions of this and the second place are so close they could be interchangeable - both are practically flawless. Unlike the rest of the list, Baby Driver isn't part of the Cornetto trilogy, it is its own thing. Stylistically, it is different to the trilogy as well, but it manages to keep a part of that trademark.
I absolutely love this film. Every aspect of a good film is here and fully utilised. Firstly, the film's plot is incredible and thrilling. Baby drives criminals to where they need to go, in order to make even with a criminal boss he was in debt with. After he pays off his debt, he thinks he is done with that life, however when he is forced into another job, things get out of hand between Baby and the criminals he is working with, and tensions are high as Baby wants to drive off into the sunset with his girlfriend, Debora, and forget his old life. That's an insanely brief summary of the plot. But the plot only works so well because of how well acted it is. Ansel Elgort is great as Baby, and John Hamm as the main villain is absolutely terrific with how genuinely threatening he is, but also with how understandable his motivations are. Additionally, Baby always listens to music for everything he does, and that just enhances this film in every way. The way in which the film uses music and incorporates it any scene just makes everything so much better. Something like getting coffee for the criminals, is transformed into an energetic and fun scene that will keep you smiling for the whole scene. As a Queen fan, Brighton Rock in the climax was outstanding, and enhanced that scene so much more for me. The action in general was incredible, and the climax is one of my favourite climaxes in any film.
I could gush about Baby Driver all day - it's a flawless masterpiece in my eyes.
With that, it's Last Night in Soho next. That film is going to be vastly different to these other films due to its horror roots, but regardless, it will probably be a masterpiece. I ranked all 5 films, and each of them was fully praising - each film is at least great, and I will always keep my eye on his films - as should you. How'd you rank Edgar Wright?
Thanks for reading.
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