Baby Driver is a Solid Film Across the Board

Directed and written by Edgar Wright, Baby Driver is probably one of the most well-balanced films I’ve seen in recent memory. The storyline was simple and straightforward, the character build up and depth was just enough, there was enough action to satisfy, and the soundtrack was the unsung hero of the film

Baby Driver is about a kid who’s government name is actually Baby (Ansel Elgort) and like the title, he’s a getaway driver. He tried boosting the wrong car when he was younger and the owner made a deal with him to pay him back for his wrongdoing. That owner is a crime boss named Doc (Kevin Spacey) and was motivated to keep him around. At the time we get introduced to the backstory, every heist that involved Baby as the getaway driver had been successful. Noting that, Doc explained to each new group of henchmen that Baby was his good luck charm. We see why in the very beginning of the film (that kid can drive).

There’s comedy, there’s love, there’s action, but the most exciting thing people around here will love is Atlanta. That’s right, not only was it filmed here but you see all types of buildings, restaurants, and landmarks throughout the movie. I liked the fact they showed copious mom-and-pop spots around town: Goodfellas Pizza, Bacchanalia, a few diners, and then there’s Octane. Octane Coffee got so much face time I felt like they were a co-sponsor of the film.

So the movie about the kid driver who never takes off his headphones is awesome. The reason he always has music playing stems from the car accident he was in as a child. There’s a constant buzzing in his ear so to drown it out he plays music 24/7. That right there is the theme throughout the movie; music. When a chase happens, when a fight breaks out, everything will be in sync with whatever song is playing. If a track is playing that has three bells a gun will fire off three times, in time with the bells. This happens throughout the entire film. It’s like taking figments of Birdman with the genius of Hail, Caesar and then Edgar Wright meshed them together and put all his favorite tunes on the soundtrack. It was pure genius.

Baby Driver gets a 9 out of 10. It’s funny, it’s raunchy, it’s genius. When Jamie Foxx arrives as Bats, that’s when the film reaches its comical apex. ‘Don’t mess with my baby!’ Jamie’s response? “….. F*** yo baby!”

-Jon J.