Edgar Wright is a director who has built such a cult following that the mere whisper of a new film coming from his mind and into our theaters sets the world aflame. So the internet is probably burning down the house right about now, as the first trailer for Baby Driver, his first film since 2013's The World's End, has finally landed. "How is it?" you may ask. Well, the good news is the trailer is a spectacular thrill ride, as expected. But the better news is that this could be Wright's best film yet. Get your first look below, and feel free to argue against our point.
Sony Pictures the trailer in the late evening hours of last night, and not a moment too soon, as there were tons of tweets showcasing fans who were refreshing their browsers frantically. And it was worth it too, as Baby Driver looks like Edgar Wright's love letter to heist movies, music, and love on the run. The story centers on Baby (The Fault In Our Stars' Ansel Elgort,) a getaway driver who listens to music to cope with a childhood injury / trauma. Hired by Kevin Spacey's heavy to do, what he assumes is, one last job, our hero will have to complete his task if he has any hope of making it into the sunset with the woman he loves (Lily James.)
Of course, since Baby Driver is an Edgar Wright film, one can count on the finished product to contain much more wordplay and slapstick than this initial look provided. However, even with those elements, we have the feeling that this first trailer is still selling what the complete Baby Driver experience will entail, and it looks like Wright may have both his most emotionally serious and most impressive action film yet. The tone of this trailer promises as such, as Baby's romance with his favorite waitress provides a solid anchor to the thrilling stunt displays being shown on camera. Gun fights, car chases, great songs... what more could you want from Wright's camp?
Try a fantastic supporting cast, as Jamie Foxx, Kevin Spacey and Jon Hamm help round out the high powered end of Baby Driver's line-up. All three look spectacular alongside Lily James and Ansel Elgort's young couple caught in the middle of it all, with just enough zippy dialogue and on screen menace to make them stand out. Much like with Edgar Wright's other films, the villains aren't just shouting at other characters & acting bigger than needed, but rather they're subverting the standard behavior of a baddie, while paying due homage to said role.
It's hard to read the raves out of SXSW last night and not get excited about what Wright and Sony Pictures are sharing with us all. As of now, Baby Driver will deliver the package to theaters on August 11, but should that information change, we'll let you know as soon as possible. However, if you're interested in psyching yourself up with the reactions to the completed film coming out of SXSW, you can click here to read through them.
