On October 14, I left work and excitedly headed to the movie theaters in order to see Edgar Wright’s newest film, The Running Man, starring Glen Powell. Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. I was very disappointed by this film, because while it was just okay, it was quite subpar compared to the rest of Edgar Wright’s filmography. Now having seen all of his films, I have compiled a list of what I believe to be his top five films.
His fifth-best film, in my opinion, is Baby Driver (2017). Baby Driver is a very solid action film starring Ansel Elgort with supporting performances from Lily James, Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Bernthal. With this good of a cast, you’d expect it to be higher up, but this movie has the same issue as The Running Man. The movie is so jam-packed with great actors that it doesn’t give enough screen-time for the actors to truly make an impression. This factor, along with a weaker third act, brings it to the fifth spot.
His fourth-best film, in my opinion, is The World’s End (2013). The World’s End starts as a seemingly simple film about five lifelong friends who get together to attempt to drink at every pub in their town. However, the movie takes what starts as a simple bar crawl and abruptly dives into the weirdest abyss possible about halfway through. The movie is hilarious and has some great fight choreography; I highly recommend it.
His third-best film, in my opinion, is Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010). This film follows Scott Pilgrim fighting the seven evil exes of Ramona Flowers. Scott is played by Michael Cera, and Ramona is played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. This movie plays out like an 8-bit side-scrolling arcade game with lots of creative stylistic choices from Wright. This, along with supporting performances from Jason Schwartzman, Kieran Culkin, and Aubrey Plaza, makes this film unforgettable and truly hilarious.
His second-best film, in my opinion, is Hot Fuzz (2007). Hot Fuzz is Edgar Wright’s second feature film and follows a dedicated cop, played by Simon Pegg, who is forced to police a small boring town in the countryside of England. A death in the town leads him to uncover the corruption surrounding the town. While this simple summary makes it seem very serious, the film itself is a hilarious comedy with some great action in the third act of the film.
His best film, in my opinion, is Shaun of the Dead (2004). Shaun of the Dead is Wright’s first feature film and arguably his greatest. The film follows Shaun, who, after a breakup with his girlfriend, must protect her from the zombie apocalypse in England. Similarly to Hot Fuzz, the film is not as serious as the summary suggests. Instead, the film turns out to be an unserious comedy with a hilarious interpretation of zombies. Out of Wright’s entire filmography, I would highly recommend Shaun of the Dead.
All in all, Edgar Wright is one of the greatest comedy directors of the 21st century and arguably of all time. I would recommend any of the films on this list.
