BABY DRIVER: SXSW MOVIE REVIEW

After leaving Marvel’s Ant-Man, director Edgar Wright returns to the big-screen with an original script, over 20 years in the making.
Baby Driver follows a young getaway driver, (Ansel Elgort) who is coerced by a crime boss (Kevin Spacey) to take part in a heist that quickly goes south. The twist here being, he is a music fanatic whose life syncs up to the tunes on his iPod. The simplest way to describe Baby Driver is “La La Land meets The Fast and the Furious”. It’s high-speed thrills often paired with a playful soundtrack, all done in Wright’s signature flashy style.

While this premise could come off as gimmicky in the hands of another director, who might use this concept to insert pop songs in order to sell soundtracks, Baby Driver’s eclectic tunes carry significance and were carefully selected. To maintain this kinetic spirit throughout are some very energetic performances from Elgort and the supporting cast of characters (including Jamie Foxx, John Hamm  and Lily James).

Unfortunately, the script isn’t nearly as noteworthy as it’s execution. There’s very little new here-story wise, and a few of the supporting characters rely on tropes as character development rather than something fresh or exciting. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of substance to be found here. The dialogue is rich with wit and charm, it’s visually engaging (as expected from an Edgar Wright film) and it’ll be a very enjoyable treat for the end of the summer movie season.

Catch Baby Driver in theaters now!

jordan Figueredo

Cigar City Magazine Staff Writer and Movie Critic.

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