Wright or Wrong? Ranking the films of Edgar Wright

Do you remember cinemas? For those who need a refresher, cinemas are those places we used to watch movies before the pandemic. Unfortunately, unlike watching films at home, cinemas tend to demand that you wear pants, and are unwilling to pause the film when you want to make a snack or go to the loo. 

While James Bond’s delayed return to the big screen helped cinemas to (somewhat) recover, many films have sunk without a trace in their efforts to reignite the box office. This is what Christopher Nolan’s Tenet was trying to do back in 2020, but it seems like Nolan and Warner Bros. were being a bit too optimistic. 

Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho will almost certainly fail to turn a profit during its time in cinemas, but if there was ever a reason to risk catching Covid-19, it’s a new film from the absolutely always entertaining Wright. His films perhaps don’t qualify as blockbusters, but they’re events nevertheless. 

Undoubtedly before too long, we’ll all be able to go back to the cinema without wanting to throw a molotov cocktail at anyone who dares to cough, but for the time being, us film lovers may want to ensure that our film collections are up to scratch. And if your collection doesn’t already feature Edgar Wright’s filmography, can you even call it a collection? Let’s take a peek at his body of work, ranked by awesomeness, using a method that was definitely scientific. 

Unranked: A Fistful of Fingers (1995)

This ranking of Wright’s filmography is exclusive in that something is excluded, and that’s his 1995 debut, A Fistful of Fingers. It’s not included because it’s hard to find, therefore hard to watch (legally, at least). Since it was made for a mere $15,000 (contrast that with the estimated $250 to $300 million production budget of No Time to Die), it’s reportedly a bit rough around the edges, to put it kindly. Apparently it can occasionally be found for sale – as a second hand VHS. Critical reviews at the time were encouraging, as opposed to being overwhelmingly positive. Have you seen it? Let us know.

7. The World’s End (2013)

The conclusion to Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, The World’s End lacked the sparkle of the previous two instalments (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz). Fortunately, Wright’s least interesting work is still superior to many filmmakers on their best day. 

Even though the end result is perfectly coherent, the film feels more like a collage of ideas expertly glued together rather than having a strong overarching narrative. 

Simon Pegg’s perpetual man-child routine started to wear a bit thin by this point too, with his Gary King treading a fine line between endearing and annoying, as he and his estranged friends attempt to recreate the pub crawl they didn’t manage to finish in their youth, while being caught up in a delightfully madcap otherworldly conspiracy. The film is also a testament to Rosamund Pike’s talents, in that she can make her underwritten role seem significant despite the fact that she has very little to do. 

6. Baby Driver (2017)

These days it’s a bit unsettling to see Kevin Spacey interacting with young men, even if it’s scripted. You want to tell Baby (Ansel Elgort) to just put the accelerator down and speed away into the distance before Spacey invites him for a drink. 

This retrospective discomfort aside, Baby Driver is a compelling action film – so energetic that you may need to lie down for a rest afterwards. This story of a getaway driver attempting to leave his life of crime behind is both thrilling and unexpectedly sweet. 

5. Last Night in Soho (2021)

Edgar Wright can apply his signature style to a variety of genres, delivering something new each time that remains undeniably his own. The same perhaps can’t be said of other contemporary auteurs, such as Wes Anderson. 

Maybe you haven’t seen it yet, and are instead waiting to buy your own copy, thus avoiding having to venture inside a cinema for the moment. Don’t worry, no spoilers here. Let’s just say that the film is an intriguing and brilliantly puzzling psychological thriller that could have done with a tighter script. That being said, this ambitious, time-straddling story has a healthy sense of its own absurdity, while being achingly stylish. 

4. The Sparks Brothers (2021)

Just because someone knows how to put a documentary together and has a deep love for the subject matter, it doesn’t necessarily mean they should make a documentary. The documentary You Don’t Nomi is a case in point, and is essentially a collection of voiceovers from various self-proclaimed experts talking about how much they love Showgirls. Entertaining? Sufficiently. Insightful? Nope.

Happily, Wright’s The Spark Brothers offers both enjoyment and insight. You can feel Wright’s adoration for the idiosyncratic cult band Sparks , but he doesn’t let his love get in the way of making a warmly perceptive documentary. 

3. Hot Fuzz (2007)

The whiplash, heavily stylised editing style Wright demonstrated in Shaun of the Dead has been perfected in Hot Fuzz. In some respects, it’s Shaun of the Dead with cops, and with the volume turned way up. A no-nonsense cop transferred to the provinces, partnered with a happy-go-lucky slacker, as he investigates the darkness learning beneath the small town’s picturesque veneer? It sounds like a formula for forgettable, but this is a glorious action comedy that also serves as an effective satire of action comedies. 

2. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

The New York Times called Scott Pilgrim vs. the World “the best video game movie ever,” which was a little curious since the film was based on a series of graphic novels. Sure, there was a video game released before Wright’s adaptation, and the film undoubtedly takes its visual cues from the gaming world, combining these with the stylistic peculiarities of its source material. The end result is a kinetic, modern, and utterly charming superhero-esque story that demonstrates how awesome it would have been if Wright had directed Marvel’s Ant-Man. If only it had done better at the box office, and we could have enjoyed watching Scott Pilgrim vs. various other things in the not-gonna-happen sequels. 

1. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Like Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead parodies its genre while also being a shining example of said genre. There’s enough creativity on show to make a film nerd weep. It takes tremendous skill to organically include a scene where a zombie is beaten up with pool cues, synchronised to Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now. Hilarity is seamlessly combined with pathos, and the relationship at the heart of the film is remarkably moving. This is the bromance between Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost), instead of the relationship between Shaun and his girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield).