Edgar Wright’s cheeky, hyper-stylized, and tongue-in-cheek visual language has earned him a special place in the hearts of audiences. The way he choreographs chaos with slapstick hilarity makes you fall in love with the discord and unruliness you most definitely will find in his comedies.
Wrapped in British humor and presented with razor-sharp editing, Wright’s films are more like rollercoaster rides than movies. With visual comedy being his ultimate forte, this gifted filmmaker blends satire with his genuine affection for genre conventions to turn even the most mundane scenarios of everyday life into laugh-out-loud spectacles.
In this article, we have compiled the best of Edgar Wright’s films, all of which showcase the unique style of this genius filmmaker.
The 7 Best Edgar Wright Movies
1. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Wright’s homage to George A. Romero’s zombie trilogy (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead), Shaun of the Dead is a spoof that borders on semi-serious horror.
The story follows a 29-year-old slacker, Shaun (Simon Pegg), who must save his loved ones during a zombie outbreak in London.
Wright satirizes how people can become “zombies” in their own lives, sleepwalking through their boring, everyday routines. He uses his signature rapid cuts and visual repetition to create wit and momentum in every frame.
2. Hot Fuzz (2007)
Another Wright masterpiece, Hot Fuzz is a police action/comedy that follows supercop Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg). Frustrated with his overachievement and overcompetency, he is transferred to the quiet town of Sanford, where people live a life a little too light and easy.
As Angel struggles to settle into this new easy-going, non-ambitious, happy-go-lucky mindset, a series of grisly homicides bring back the lost thrill into Angel’s life.
Hot Fuzz exemplifies masterful genre-blending and dynamic storytelling. Once again, Wright fuses action and comedy within the premise of thrill and suspense to innovate within genre filmmaking while entertaining a broad audience.
3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
An innovative take on love, courtship, and romantic jealousy, Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World follows a young man (Michael Cera), fighting for his love, against his girlfriend’s evil exes, who’ve vowed never to let her be happy with someone else.
A cult favorite owing to its stylized visual language, Wright embraces comic book and video game aesthetics in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to build on the film’s organic resonance with pop culture.
4. The World’s End (2013)
A 20-year reunion goes horribly wrong when five childhood friends become the only hope for their town against invading alien robots.
Known for its rapid cuts and dry humor, The World’s End explores complex themes, including escapism, nostalgia, and unresolved issues, using an alien invasion as a metaphor. Presented as a hardcore sci-fi, yet The World’s End examines real-life concepts such as personal freedom, friendship, individuality, and conformity, in depth.
The film is also lauded for its intricate action sequences and effortless fight scenes. The World End teaches us that rigorous planning and technical discipline are the best friends of any filmmaker.
5. Baby Driver (2017)
I wonder what inspires Wright to come up with ideas such as Baby Driver. A partially impaired, music-loving getaway driver (Ansel Elgort), who grew up as an orphan, commands the steering wheel with unmatched skill, cruising the road like he owns it, with music guiding his every move behind the wheel. Baby’s unique driving skill has him working for a ruthless crime boss (Kevin Spacey), as his chauffeur, during his bank-robbing cronies.
Baby Driver is the story of a man who is desperate to escape a life of crime after he meets Deborah (Lily James) and falls in love with her. But as he is about to quit his criminal freelance job, the crime boss approaches him with one last assignment, threatening to hurt Deborah if he refuses. Well aware that trying to stand up to a crime master is futile, Baby agrees to the job, determined never to look back again after this.
The novelty of this narrative lies in its use of music as an agent to shape perception and human behavior.
Wright synchronizes the action and dialogue to the beat of the soundtrack, utilizing the full scope of this musical story element.
6. Last Night in Soho (2021)
Breaking out of his usual choice of story and treatment, Wright exhibits his directorial versatility in Last Night in Soho. The narrative follows a young fashion student, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), who rents an apartment in London, but each night she is transported back into the 1960s, where she begins to follow another woman Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), witnessing glamour turn to horror, as she uncovers dark secrets about the house she’s rented, and its owner.
Last Night in Soho is quite different from Wright’s usual films. The filmmaker uses bold neon colors (reminiscent of Nicolas Winding Refn, honestly), period music, and steers clear of comedy. The movie demonstrates skillful character development, setting quite the benchmark for the portrayal of controversial female leads in a narrative.
7. A Fistful of Fingers (1995)
Wright’s directorial debut, A Fistful of Fingers, is a low-budget indie spoof, centering around a cowboy’s (Graham Low) quest for revenge against the man who killed his beloved horse, Easy.
An embodiment of scrappy creativity that saves the day under a limited budget, Wright’s signature style is all over this film—fast cuts, creative transitions, and visual comedy, all jampacked in a light-hearted story.
A Fistful of Fingers is a reminder to all aspiring filmmakers to look beyond limitations and budget constraints. You do not need a million-dollar film to prove your worth as a filmmaker.
Did we miss any films? Do let us know!
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