Image by 愚木混株 Cdd20 from Pixabay Today marks the release of Last Night in Soho, the newest film from beloved British director Edgar Wright. While I did not grow up watching and loving his films, I have recently become a huge fan of Wright’s directorial style and sensibilities. From his signature use of music and sound design to his distinctive editing style and sense of humor, Wright is undeniably one of the fan-favorite directors of the 21st century despite only making six feature films (seven if you count his 1995 low-budget Western comedy A Fistful of Fingers). And with Wright entering unfamiliar territory with a psychological horror flick & period piece, I figured it was a great time to look back at his other films.
So, without further ado…LET’S GET STARTED! Shaun of the Dead (2004) There are arguably two films in the early 2000s that kickstarted the modern zombie movie more than anything else: Danny Boyle’s 2002 horror movie 28 Days Later and Edgar Wright’s 2004 comedy flick Shaun of the Dead. While both made less at the box office than Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake, they laid a solid foundation for many of the tropes that the genre has continued to exploit—and lampoon—to this day. But, in my humble opinion, Shaun of the Dead is not only one of the best zombie films ever made but remains one of my personal favorites of Edgar Wright’s filmography. This movie excels at being so many types of movies. First off, its seamless blend of laughs and scares is arguably unmatched by most horror comedies to this day. Wright’s director excellently injects humor within intensive scenes of zombie thrills to help alleviate the stress and remind us that we’re watching a comedy flick (not that we need much reminding since this movie is incredibly funny). And what I love most about Wright’s efforts blurring the lines of genre is that they are about more than just keeping the audience on its toes. Rather, he plays it smart by highlighting, critiquing, and yet still embracing the tropes and pitfalls of a zombie movie. From fake-out kills and meaningful character deaths to reminding us that most people (at least in Britain) are not intimately familiar with firearms, Wright’s ceaseless parody never fails to amuse and amaze me simultaneously. Of course, one of the consistent strengths of Wright’s “Three Flavours Cornetto” trilogy (in which Shaun of the Dead marks the first of the three) is the endearing and palpable chemistry between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. And it is arguably the best in this movie due to the character arc of Pegg’s character, the aimless and unambitious Shaun, coming to appreciate his friendship with Frost’s Ed while also learning the importance of striking a balance with his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield). Being Wright’s first major feature film, Shaun of the Dead also holds up as a prime example of Wright’s eye for editing and sound. His uncanny ability to choreograph action sequences to classic rock songs (notably Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”) makes for great comedy as well as an expertly-crafted example of music’s significant role in making film a piece of art. And while I firmly believe that some of Wright’s later films do this better, this film certainly stands the test of time in this respect. All in all, Shaun of the Dead has sustained a legacy in cinema and pop culture as a great example of genre-blending comedy that transcends cultures so that anyone can watch it and enjoy it on some level. For me, it’s a movie I loved since the first time I saw it and I imagine myself revisiting it every few years just to have some good, old-fashioned fun. Hot Fuzz (2007) Whereas Shaun of the Dead lampoons the foundational tropes and defining elements of the zombie genre, Hot Fuzz is a straight-up parody of the “buddy cop” flick akin to Point Break and Bad Boys II (while also being a loving homage to the genre). Certainly, much of the defining characteristics of Wright’s style shine once again in this film, but other aspects differentiate it from Shaun of the Dead and his movies that came after. For one thing, Hot Fuzz is self-referential at times (notably the fence-hopping scene involving Nick Frost’s character being called out by Simon Pegg’s character). I personally love when a director can pay respect to their own work without coming off as being up their own ass, and Wright does that and more by lovingly making fun of himself. Based on this alone, Wright comes off as the kind of guy who doesn’t take himself too seriously (at least around) which I appreciate from someone with his talents. I also really enjoyed how Wright flipped the dynamic of Pegg and Frost’s relationship in this movie compared to Shaun of the Dead. Pegg’s straight-man, headstrong policeman Nicholas Angel is the polar opposite of Shaun and Pegg makes it seem easy to play such different personalities. This has great comedic effect when played off of Frost’s doofus small-town lawman Danny Butterman who has a big heart but lacks competence and ambition to Nicholas’s liking. This dynamic shines through within the context of a buddy-cop parody and causes me to like both of these actors even more than I did in Shaun of the Dead. However, whereas I have virtually no complains about Wright’s first major film, I do not think that Hot Fuzz is as perfect as Shaun of the Dead in terms of what it’s striving for. First off, I always laugh out loud at the second-act reveal of the crazy cult in Sandford but it certainly lacks any sort of believability. Admittedly, zombies aren’t believable either. However, (in my humble opinion) Wright does a better job in Shaun of the Dead of grounding everything else in that movie (from the characters themselves to the consequences of their actions) than in Hot Fuzz once the third act gets going. Additionally, Hot Fuzz is a great example of Wright’s work that feels somewhat superfluous in light of Shaun of the Dead. In many ways, he is not doing anything different but instead doubling down on what was good about the latter to make the former (almost) just as good. But based on what he does in some of his later work, I just felt after watching this film that he could have strived to grow as a filmmaker and do something more. Nevertheless, Hot Fuzz is undeniably a good time and worth the watch despite some of these drawbacks. While not my personal favorite of Wright’s filmography, it holds up as a solid mid-2000s comedy and a well-executed genre parody that hits on almost everything it tries to do. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) I remember feeling underwhelmed after my first viewing of Edgar Wright’s cinematic take on Brian Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim graphic novel character. Not associating Scott Pilgrim vs. the World with Wright at the time, I found the movie visually interesting but the story lacking any reason for me to care about what the characters were doing onscreen and why. But when I decided to revisit this movie recently for this blog, I was hopeful that I’d like it more. Unfortunately, it just isn’t for me. For starters, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is (in my humble opinion) Wright’s first bland protagonist who lacks a distinctive personality or interesting motivations. And while Cera’s off-kilter awkward persona has worked before in films like Superbad or Juno, I just personally feel that he was miscast here. That being said, I did find myself appreciating the conclusion of his character arc on this rewatch as he ultimately learns to prioritize self-respect over true love which subverts what one might expect from this kind of one-of-a-kind take on a rom-com. But there are other things that hold me back from liking Scott Pilgrim vs. the World as much as I do any of his other films. Unlike Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz (whose budgets clock in at six and twelve million dollars, respectively), this is Wright’s first real big-budget flick (costing anywhere from 65 to 80 million dollars). And I feel like that much of a budget at this point in Wright’s career ended up being mor of a hinderance than additive in any positive way. Sure, the fight sequences are visually engaging due to their anime- and comic-book-inspired flare, but any good action movie needs an equally interesting story to be anything more than mediocre. And this film just does not live up to the promise of Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) as characters on their own or their romantic chemistry. Despite its flaws, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World still retains much of what makes Wright a genius in his own right. He continued honing his visual and auditory style here that will come into play going forward. At the end of the day, I do not stand by the belief that Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a poorly-made movie. But it is lackluster when compared to much of Wright’s other work, and as such is not one that I care to revisit in the future. The World’s End (2013) Similar to Insomnia for Christopher Nolan or Jackie Brown for Quentin Tarantino, I feel like The World’s End is the “black sheep” or “middle child” or Edgar Wright’s filmography. Either people who call themselves fans of Wright’s work are unfamiliar with this movie, or they identify it as a bad film that should not have Wright’s name on it. I disagree with those people; I found The World’s End to be surprisingly enjoyable in spite of its flaws and do not think it deserves the negative or lackluster characterization that it has gotten since it came out. In my humble opinion, The World’s End is one of Wright’s most underrated flicks. Does it hold a candle to the likes of Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, the other two parts of the “Cornetto” trilogy? Not at all, but that doesn’t mean it’s an utter piece of garbage either. I really enjoyed Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’ chemistry in this movie because it felt so much different from the characters they have played before for Wright. Yet, Pegg’s unlikeable alcoholic Gary King feels like another good variation on the personality types he’s done before. Whereas Shaun was unambitious and Nicholas was a strait-laced tight-ass, Gary is an out-and-out douchebag with a soft, mushy emotional core that has a great amount of vulnerability to it. Conversely, Nick Frost’s mature and emotionally reserved working stiff Andy Knightley allows him to emote more subtly and play a more nuanced character than in his prior outings in Wright’s movies. Despite how different these performances are, I still really enjoyed seeing Pegg and Frost play off each other in The World’s End. Sure, the dynamics of their friendship were pretty different. But it felt refreshing to see Wright create something new relative to the other two “Cornetto” flicks. And while the other parts of the ensemble cast (except Martin Freeman and Rosamund Pike) struggle to stand out here, I appreciated Wright venturing into somewhat different territory with his characters and world-building. However, The World’s End is far from perfect and in fact might be Wright’s most flawed story in terms of its structure and execution. First, the sci-fi twist in the first act should have worked just as much (if not more) than the horror twist in Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk till Dawn, but it kind of fell flat at first. And (in my humble opinion) it rehashes much of what didn’t work for me about the crazy small-town cult plot of Hot Fuzz. Regarding the pacing of the film, the third act feels rushed and builds up to a climax that really comes out of nowhere. In a sense, I appreciated the utter absurdity of the last twenty-ish minutes of this movie. But that doesn’t mean it’s a well-paced or well-structured story. A small note, too: the title, The World’s End, sucks. It is undoubtedly Wright’s most uninspired title of any of his movies and he certainly should have taken another pass at that before finalizing the script. Could I come up with something better? … Maybe. 😊 At the end of the day, I liked watching The World’s End more than I thought I would. Despite its numerous flaws, it still has Wright’s signature aesthetic and approach to sound design that I love and I think Pegg’s and Frost’s back-and-forth deserves more respect. Is it Wright’s best movie? Not at all, but I liked it more than Scott Pilgrim vs. the World so it at least has that going for it. Baby Driver (2017) Funny story, I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. the World before Baby Driver but the latter made a much bigger impression on me. Is it because it’s a better movie in every conceivable way? Yes. Yes, it is. 😊 Not to resort to hyperbole, but Baby Driver is easily Wright’s magnum opus. Everything about it is the peak of his creative talents put on the silver screen. The characters, the action, the editing, the use of music and sound—it all comes together for a really fun ride and a genuinely great film. The integral nature of the soundtrack to the driving and shootout scenes makes for an insatiable visual feast without distracting the audience in a way that detracts from the story. As I am writing this before I have seen Last Night in Soho, I just do not see Wright topping himself from a technical standpoint. For moviegoers not intimately familiar with Wright’s work, I imagine the cast is the standout element of Baby Driver for them. Ansel Elgort as the charming yet naïve getaway driver Baby has such great chemistry with Lily James’s loveable “girl next door” Debora from start to finish. I also enjoyed every main member of the criminal crew for different reasons. Jon Hamm expertly transitions his character, Buddy, from a reliable mentor figure for Baby to a vengeful and violent killer. Conversely, Kevin Spacey plays up the conniving villainy of “Doc” before expertly displaying his ultimate love for Baby during the third act without his turn feeling out of character. The standout villain in this movie, without question, is Jamie Foxx as “Bats” who never ceases to terrify the audience from his introduction to his gruesome demise. Compared to much of Wright’s other work, I also really appreciate that Baby Driver is not a film that spells out everything. Whether it be the significance of certain character interactions or the meaning of the film’s ending, he lets the audience come to their own conclusions about who these characters are and whether or not they deserve their fates. I cannot recommend this film enough to those who love action-heavy heist films with a great cast and great music. For me, Baby Driver is the culmination of Wright’s creative talents up to this point and holds up as the pinnacle of his career that may never be topped in my book. Last Night in Soho (2021) [NOTE: This blog contains spoilers for “Last Night in Soho.” You have been warned.] Going into Last Night in Soho, I was pretty sure it would not feel like any other Edgar Wright in terms of its tone and style of storytelling. And I was fine with that as I’m a fan of much of his previous work but not a diehard devotee or fanatic. I will say that I imagine peoples who grew up loving films like Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz and are excepting another film like the “Cornetto” trilogy will be sorely disappointed. Honestly, that was one of my favorite things about this film. While it has some of the more subtle signature elements of Wright’s sensibilities, Last Night in Soho carves out a distinctive, genre-blending identity that stands out compared to any of his other movies. While there are some drawbacks to this that I’ll talk about later, overall I enjoyed that the film told a different kind of story and showed that Wright is more than just a flashy editor with some good taste in music. To the contrary, he is a talented filmmaker who knows how to evoke great performances from his actors and combine a unique approach to cinematography and sound design to great effect. What is reminiscent of Wright’s other films (particularly Shaun of the Dead and Baby Driver) is his inspired use of music to create a powerful atmosphere. Simply put, this film has style pouring from every shot and scene (particularly during the time-travel dreams of the first act) that had me thoroughly hooked less than halfway into the runtime. Wright’s ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time and place that I have no sentimental or emotional connection is just a prime example of his skilled approach to filmmaking. When it comes to the performances on display here, I assumed that Anya Taylor-Joy would be the standout of the main cast. And while I enjoyed her scenes and her role in the story, I found her being ultimately outclassed by Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace, Jojo Rabbit) as the up-and-coming fashion designer Ellie and the late, great Diana Rigg (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) as Ellie’s stern yet sympathetic landlady Miss Collins. Regarding the latter, Rigg’s final performance before her death last year may end up being one of her best. Namely because I loved her portrayal of Lady Olenna Tyrell in Game of Thrones, and never once thought of that character while watching Rigg in this film which just points to the tremendous talent that she had and that we have, unfortunately, lost. Some viewers of Last Night in Soho may come away feeling that the story is the weakest part of the movie. While in some sense I can see that, I think that the central issue at stake here for both McKenzie and Rigg’s characters paralleled each other very nicely. Whereas Ellie’s nightmarish experience highlights the double-edged nature of nostalgia and being stuck in the past, Rigg (through her experiences as an aspiring singer in the 1960s) must confront the demons of her past and the morality of her actions in light of the trauma that she went through. While the third-act structure of the movie did not quite allow the emotional potential of this arc to feel fully satisfying in the end, I still appreciated the extent to which Wright made these characters’ stories engaging from start to finish. Unfortunately, Last Night in Soho is by no means a perfect movie. For starters, I appreciated Wright attempting to juggle multiple genres here (primarily drama and psychological horror) but I don’t think the final product handled this balancing act well enough to completely justify the blend. I could show the first half of this movie to someone who’s never seen any of Wright’s other films and they would assume it was a dark comedy with a flair for the theatricality of the 1960s. But if I showed that same person just the second half, they would come away thinking it was a supernatural horror flick about demons from the past and an ill-equipped young woman trying to solve a murder mystery in spite of her crippling anxiety and paranoia. Ultimately, that can be a problem for those wanting to dive into this movie wanting to like all of its parts because they might end up only liking bits of it. For me, the first half was more enjoyable than the second. Furthermore, I found myself longing for some more obvious nods to the editing cues and consistent humor that have become synonymous with Wright’s style. While I thought what humor was in the movie worked for the most part, I do think that his approach to storytelling shines a little brighter with comedies. I firmly believe he’ll only grow creatively if/when he makes another horror movie like this, but until that time I can only judge his “good-not-great” results of Last Night in Soho. Regarding the film’s story structure, it came very close to falling apart for me in the last fifteen minutes. Fortunately, it saved itself from completely souring my opinion on it. However, following the twist reveal of Rigg’s character being an older Taylor-Joy who in fact murdered all of the men that she was prostituted out to, there is a moment with McKenzie and the demons of these men where they ask her to help “save them” and “kill her” (as in Miss Collins). At this point, however, I did not want these men to be victimized and Miss Collins (despite her crimes) to become evil incarnate. Luckily, I did not come away with the belief that Wright was excusing what these men did to Rigg’s character while also feeling Miss Collins’s fate a fitting end for her. All that being said, however, Last Night in Soho does not end as strong as it began or as its middle act kept me engaged. But, at the end of the day, its strengths outweigh its flaws for me and deserves to be seen for those interested in a unique style of modern horror from a great director. While not as complete a film as Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead, it still stands out as a very good flick that worked for me more than it didn’t. With all that being said, here is my ranking of the films of Edgar Wright:
What is your favorite Edgar Wright film? What kind of movie do you want to see Wright direct next? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst
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Austin McManusI have no academic or professional background in film production or criticism; I simply love watching and talking about movies. Archives
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