‘Baby Driver’: A Lesson In Storytelling

At this point in his career, Edgar Wright has cemented himself as a brilliant filmmaker. He’s is capable of creating movies that are entertaining, aesthetically pleasing, all with a style of storytelling that continues to grow and get better with each new installment. His latest film, “Baby Driver,” has no shortage of the style and technique Wright has seamlessly has blended into each of his films. Beyond its rollicking soundtrack, “Baby Driver” showcases Wright’s ability to tell a story.

In a video essay by Jack’s Movie Reviews, Wright’s storytelling is given a thorough analysis. For the chase scenes, Wright is able to introduce main characters and also subvert the necessity for dialogue, particularly in the opening portion of the film. Despite this absence of dialogue and focus on the visual and non-diegetic audio, we’re able to gauge a lot about our protagonist, Baby. We know he’s a fun-loving, decent young man, who disassociates himself from the violence of the film and those who cause it.

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Fully believing film should be a visual medium, and especially showcased in films like “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” Wright uses the basic visual cues of films to convey his story. Wright personifies the idea that you can utilize the foundation of filmmaking and give it a new meaning; make something retro appear cool and new again. Wright’s cues in his editing style give us a glimpse of the life Baby wants to have with Debora, in its sweeping camera movement and slow music, and the life he is forced to be a part of, in its quick editing and rock-n-roll music.

Wright’s style is going to continue to evolve, and there is no telling which lane he’ll shift into next.