The upcoming film Baby Driver has been getting a lot of critical acclaim lately, and the trailer has been showcasing some pretty fancy driving. Let’s just put this out there to start: this movie looks dope… really dope. A high octane chase/getaway/heist genre film that pushes the pace with hot music and a heavy foot? Yes, please. The director Edgar Wright (Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) is a master when it comes to understanding genre, and is able to maintain just the right amount of self-awareness in his work. Baby Driver aims to be held in high regard with other classic car chase films like Bullitt starring the legendary Steve McQueen.
Now, when you think of a car-centric movie these days, it’s generally filled with modified muscle cars and exotic rides – think Fast and Furious or Gone in 60 Seconds. Cars that you wouldn’t see on an everyday basis rolling down the street. It’s fair to think one of the reasons for these super cool cars is to distract from shortcomings in film’s story or characters by serve as a sort of eye candy – allowing the audience to dream about driving expensive, rare, modified autos.
The mixed bag of rides in Baby Driver speaks to the philosophy: it’s not the car, it’s how you drive it.
