Every Edgar Wright Film, Ranked Worst to Best

Edgar Wright has been making films for almost 30 years, beginning in 1995 with A handful of fingersand more recently, with that of 2021 Last night in Soho. Spanning action, comedy, romance, sci-fi and horror, the British filmmaker has honed a style that has garnered plaudits around the world.

Ahead of the Netflix animated series Scott Pilgrim takes off (in which Wright serves as executive producer), we thought what better time to discuss the ups and downs of the filmmaker’s career… although there are many. This will take into account all seven films Wright directed, so don’t expect that The Adventures of Tintin, Space, or the upcoming documentary The Sparks Brothers.

Of course, this is just one author’s opinion, not a definitive ranking that will be engraved on Mount Rushmore for eternity. Try not to take it too seriously. After all, it’s just a bit of fun. With that being said, let’s rank every Edgar Wright film from worst to best.

7. A handful of fingers

Of every film on this list, A handful of fingers is one you’ll probably never have heard of. Made in 1995 on a budget of $15,000, it was Wright’s first feature film about a cowboy seeking revenge on a bandit who kills his trusted horse.

There’s plenty of comedic potential in this British Western parody of Sergio Leone’s films, it’s just that the pacing is all over the place (just 78 minutes long too) alongside some woeful acting that it is difficult to overtake. Apart from that, for a first orientation straight out of school, it is a valiant effort. The full film is now available on YouTube.

6. The End of the World (2013)

The final entry in the beloved Cornetto trilogy saw Simon Pegg and Wright team up once again to the end of the world. The setup? Five friends reunite in their hometown to attempt to complete a pub crawl they failed 23 years earlier, only for an alien invasion to suddenly occur. It has all the hallmarks of what helped the director find success: a strong cast, smart social commentary, heartfelt moments wrapped in layers of comedy – and yet it doesn’t all play out the way it should on paper .

Maybe it’s the character change by having Pegg as an unsympathetic aloof and Nick Frost as an ordinary man, or the serious tone that underlines the entire plot that sometimes makes it hard to laugh at what’s happening. Or maybe it’s just not as accurate as what happened before and after. It’s not a bad film, far from it – in fact, it’s Pegg’s favorite of the three – it just doesn’t live up to the heights we know Wright can reach.

5. Last Night in Soho (2021)

Last night in Soho is the director’s latest release but it’s also his weakest in terms of critical reception. This is something we can see growing in appreciation over time.

Stunning cinematography of London recreated in the sixties, matched only by the superb costume design and seductive performance of The menuIn Anya Taylor-Joy, psychological horror has a lot to offer. It’s in the final third where the story goes a bit off the rails and the film’s identity starts to come into question where things go wrong.

4. Scott Pilgrim Against the World (2010)

Based on the graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs. the world presented a breath of fresh air in what is essentially a mix of video game and superhero movie. Even though it bombed at the box office, the 2010 romantic action comedy has rightfully earned a cult following to this day, now leading to a Netflix series that will see the entire cast return to voice .

Starring Michael Cera as Scott, a 22-year-old bassist who seemingly has no problem finding a girlfriend, everything changes when Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) enters his life as he is forced to fight his seven evil exes. Visually, it’s Wright’s most impressive film, boasting an assortment of colors, lighting, and flashy camerawork that excites rather than annoys. It’s easy to forget how many names were involved before they became famous: Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson (Wonders), Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Aubrey Plaza, the list goes on. Oh, and most importantly, Scott Pilgrim shares vital life lessons, like how bread makes you fat

3. Baby Driver (2017)

Edgar Wright’s use of music is undoubtedly one of his best assets, unleashed to its full potential in 2017. Baby driver. Starring Ansel Elgort as a guard driver trying to get out of the game, each moment is defined by a different murder trail, starting with the cold opening use of Bells by The Blues Explosion by Jon Spencer. This immediately cuts into the title credits as our protagonist happily strolls down the street to the Harlem Blend by Bob & Earl, showcasing Wright’s genius as he transforms the simple into the sublime.

The action film never lets up thanks to its signature pace, fast-paced edits and dizzying stunts that would give Tom Cruise a run for his money. We haven’t even talked about the supporting cast: Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, and Jon Bernthal are all in fine form. It’s Jamie Foxx’s psychotic Bats who steal the show, however, providing the perfect antagonist that you want to love as much as you want to hate. Baby driver is as clever as possible.

2. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

There are some movies that won’t die, and fans love them Shaun of the Dead embodies this better than most. And rightly so! The rom-com-zom is still fun to this day. Set in North London, two sloths Shaun (Simon Pegg) and Ed (Nick Frost) find themselves in the middle of a zombie invasion. What to do but go to the Winchester, have a pint and wait for this to end.

Acting as the first film in the Cornetto trilogy, it’s laugh-out-loud, cleverly written with a wonderful sense of foreshadowing while proving why its leading men have some of the best chemistry in Hollywood. It has aged brilliantly in the nearly 20 years since its debut, making it eternal to revisit. Best of all, it improves in some way with each repeated viewing thanks to attention to every detail. No wonder this catapulted Wright, Pegg and Frost to stardom.

1. Hot Fuzz (2007)

“Hello, Sergeant!” » “Yarp.” “The greatest good.” “Feel free to make a reel.” “No one tells me anything.” “A very big bushy beard!” Warm Fuzz is quoted endlessly, somehow transforming a parody of buddy cop action films into one of the best comedies of the 21st century. It’s not just Edgar Wright at his best, but Simon Pegg and Nick Frost firing on all cylinders to create a film so iconic that every time a swan emerges, the British press goes crazy over it. gives heart joy.

Every character is perfectly written. Whether it’s Simon Skinner, sadistic manager of Timothy Dalton’s supermarket, Frank Butterworth, Jim Broadbent, Doris Thatcher, lover of Oliva Coleman’s insinuations, or the unfortunate Eve Draper from Lucy Punch. There aren’t many films with such a large cast and yet so easily recognizable. Filmed in the small Somerset town of Wells, where Wright grew up, it’s only fitting that Warm Fuzz sums up everything that makes this man a first-rate filmmaker.

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