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Baby Driver

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Ansel Elgort in Baby Driver. (Photo: Sony)
Ansel Elgort in Baby Driver. (Photo: Sony)

What it's about:

Baby, a talented young getaway driver, relies on the beat of his personal soundtrack to be the best in the game. When he meets the girl of his dreams, he sees a chance to ditch his criminal life and make a clean getaway. But, after being coerced into working for a crime boss, he must face the music when a doomed heist threatens his life, love and freedom.

What we thought:

“They call me Baby Driver/And once upon a pair of wheels/I hit the road and I'm gone,” sings Simon & Garfunkel in 1970 folk-rock hit titled Baby Driver.

It was this song that helped writer and director Edgar Wright title his rhythmic new action flick that shares the same moniker. Although the film shares the same name as the song it wasn’t inspired by its lyrics. 

In fact Baby Driver was birthed from a variety of musical influences. The original idea for the film actually came to Wright whilst he was listening to John Spencer Blues Explosion's song, Bellbottoms

"I heard a song and visualised a car chase. I had the idea back then, and over the years it developed into a getaway driver, a young getaway driver,” Wright said in an interview with Den of Geek

“And I was born one dark gray morn/With music coming in my ears,” sings Simon & Garfunkel in the song, Baby Driver. Cut to Ansel Elgort in jeans, a white T-shirt, letterman jacket, sunglasses and earphones behind the wheel of a getaway car. 

Elgort, in the titular role, portrays a soft-spoken loner who gets coerced into working for a crime boss. He’s got serious skills behind the wheel and is used as a getaway driver. But things get complicated and the plot thickens – all to the beat of some fantastic songs.

See Baby has severe tinnitus and has a permanent buzzing in his ear. To drown out the noise he constantly listens to music and his world is continually set to the beat of a song. Walking, running, driving, hiding, shooting, jumping, fighting or desperately escaping – it’s all perfectly timed to some classic tune that will steer you into a state of uncontrollable foot-tapping.  

Wright manages to transform even the most mundane of scenes, like Baby buying coffee, into something simply spectacular. A walk down the street becomes a perfectly timed musical masterpiece with layer upon layer of subtleties hidden in shop windows, graffiti and song lyrics.  

First conceived in 1994 the idea for the film has haunted Wright for many years. This means he’s had plenty of time to brew over this thrilling action flick that is undoubtedly one of the best this year, if not this decade. Razor-sharp and oozing style and sophistication, Baby Driver amps up the game while saying “fuck you” to CGI and over-the-top car flicks that feel like recycled plastic copies. 

There’s something fresh and extremely energetic about this film that makes it a thrilling ride from start to finish. Add to that a mean cast that include Elgort (Baby), Kevin Spacey (Doc), Jamie Foxx (Bats), Jon Hamm (Buddy) and Lily James (Debora) and you have pure magic on the silver screen in front of you. Each bring with them serious edge and badassery that make you want to shout: “Oh, Baby! What a ride!”

This five star cinematic masterpiece will make you feel young and want to fall madly in love with someone you don’t even know yet, whilst singing: “I hit the road and I'm gone/What's my number/I wonder how your engines feel.”

ALSO READ: GTA gone wild - The cars Baby drives

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