Baby Driver is the new film from writer, director Edgar Wright, who previously made The Cornetto Trilogy and Scott Pilgrim vs the World. A heist action it follows Baby (Ansel Elgort) a getaway driver for crews put together by Doc (Kevin Spacey), on various jobs.

As you will know if you are a fan of Wright’s previous work he is a huge fan of film and his own work contains numerous references to past movies. And there is certainly some of that in Baby Driver, but unlike The Cornetto Trilogy this isn’t a film about film. It’s about music. Whole scenes in the film are built around the soundtrack as Wright manages to makes the music the star. Whether it’s a high paced action scene, a dinner, or merely Baby walking to get coffee the scenes have a rhythm and a flow to them. It’s a highly stylised method of film making, but it’s one that makes Baby Driver a completely unique film experience, and the closest thing to a musical you’ll get without the characters actually belting out songs every 5 or 10 minutes.

The actual story itself is less original. The film hits a lot of the beats that you would expect in a heist film. The plot is extremely minimal, and the film is actually based more around the three heists than an elaborate story. But that is the point of Baby Driver. It’s not meant to be the most plot heavy film. Instead its focus is on the delivering great action scenes in an incredibly unique way. And the action sequences are great. They are clearly shot, and have you on the edge of your seat. On top of this the romance between Baby and Debora is nice enough, and Ansel Elgort has good chemistry with Lily James.

But the whole cast is so stuffed full of talent. As well as Elgort and James Baby Driver also features big names such as Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal, as well as up and comer Eiza González. Their characters are all unique and eccentric personalities for Baby to encounter. Whilst the actors tend to ham their performances up for the most part there are scenes that get right to the heart of the characters; particularly a diner scene after a gun deal. But it’s Elgort who really steals the show. His performance as Baby is both withdrawn and over the top. He really gives you the sense that Baby can’t be himself when he’s around the criminals, because it is only when he’s away from them that he feels free to dance around. Elgort has given good performances before, but Baby Driver feels as though it could be the making of him as an actor.

It might lean far more to style over substance, but with Baby Driver it doesn’t really matter. This film is a masterpiece in directing from Edgar Wright. Small details such as the ringing that is only present when Baby can’t hear music mirrors the character’s tinnitus. This is a film that a lot of people will love, and has enough thrills to keep those just wanting a good action film happy.

9/10