Baby Driver started as a response to the ongoing success of the Fast and the Furious franchise. But it became one of the most stylish action films in recent memory. Edgar Wright directed the movie and it has his full signature style. Do you want to see more action movies like Baby Driver? Read on.
When it came out in 2017, the movie was one of the few coming out that season that were not part of an existing franchise, inspired by true events, or based on a book or TV show.
Baby Driver is on many lists for genre movies. Nothing is surprising or thrilling about the plot. There are no twists that will knock you. But it feels amazing and stylish.
In October 2021, director Edgar Wright announced that the writing for Baby Driver 2 has been completed.
The movie is about a getaway driver seeking freedom from a life of crime with his girlfriend. The cast includes Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzales, Jamie Fox, and Jon Bernthal.
Wright developed Baby Driver for over two decades. He came up with the idea in his youth but took his time to make the movie. The movie premiered at the South by Southwest festival in March 2017.
Today, we will look at some of the best movies like Baby Driver.
The Fast and the Furious
We said in the beginning that Wright made the movie as a response to the success of the Fast and Furious franchise. Well, it is only fitting we put the first movie of the Fast and Furious saga on our list of movies like Baby Driver.
The Fast and the Furious is the first movie in many that use topics like illegal street racing, heists, spies, and family. The first movie was released in 2001, beginning the original saga of movies. The Fast and Furious series later transitioned towards heists and spying.
The movie propelled actors like Vin Diesel and Paul Walker to stardom.
Smokey and the Bandit
The story of the movie is about two good old boys chasing a truck full of Coors liquor. It is all about car chases. Paul Williams portrays one of the father-son team who gives the job to a truck driver called Bandit. Burt Reynolds plays Bandit.
What is so special about this movie and the chase across many states? Well, it is all about the chemistry between Burt Reynolds and Sally Field. Their great chemistry on screen led to real-life romance and romantic relationships.
The Driver
This movie also includes a getaway driver and is maybe one of the best in the genre. We see Ryan O’Neal in the role of a loner who hires crews and can walk the streets and elude the police at any time.
The only downside of the movie is the pacing. It goes very slowly and there are many meaningless scenes.
But it is still worth watching.
The Transporter
Many movies like Baby Driver propelled the career of a famous actor. This one did it for Jason Statham and made him a mainstream actor.
The Transporter franchise revolves around the exploits of furtive courier Frank Martin. His packages usually get him the attention of several dangerous figures.
In the first Transporter movie, we see him encountering a mysterious woman with huge links to corrupt officials.
The movie also features a lot of BMW and Mercedes Benz models used for car chases.
The Italian Job
We have to mention this heist film as one of the best movies like Baby Driver. It is a remake of the 1969 original starring Michael Caine. The 1969 movie popularized the concept of a cliffhanger. But the 2003 remake has a great performance by every actor and the visual is much better.
The movie centers on a group of thieves plotting to capture a security truck full of gold. The ensemble cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham, and Edward Norton. The added bonus is we see them pull off a heist in a classic Mini Cooper chase through Los Angeles.
Hot Fuzz
This action movie parody by Edgar Wright is a great movie. In this movie, he folds jokes like never before, adds loving pastiches into his film, and ADHD-infused editing.
Hot Fuzz is a 2007 buddy cop action comedy. It stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton, and Jim Broadbent in the main roles.
The plot follows two police officers investigating a series of mysterious and gruesome deaths in a West Country village.
Wright used more than 100 action films as inspiration for the script.
Drive
Let’s continue with the 2011 American action drama directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The movie is based on a novel of the same name by James Sallis.
Ryan Gosling stars in the main role as an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver. He moonlights as a getaway driver and quickly grows fond of his neighbor and her young son.
When his neighbor’s husband is released from prison, the two men take part in what turns out to be a million-dollar heist.
Last Night in Soho
This is not an action movie. Instead, it is a British psychological horror film. But it is also directed by Edgar Wright. This is why we put it on our list because it shares some elements with Baby Driver.
The movie premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival in September 2021. Critics praised production design, cinematography, costume design, directing, and performances.
Den of Thieves
In some countries, the movie is released under the name Criminal Squad. In any case, Den of Thieves is a 2018 American action heist movie. It stars Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, 50 Cent, Evan Jones, Mo McRae, and Max Holloway.
The story follows a police gang looking to stop a gang of thieves planning to rob the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles.
Layer Cake
The British action crime film follows the story of an unnamed drug courier, played by Daniel Craig. He plans to leave the trade by accomplishing two difficult tasks for his bosses.
The movie is the directorial debut of Matthew Vaughn. He was inspired by the style of Guy Ritchie. While a movie about an unnamed antihero is nothing new, it is the stylization that blends gangster and heist elements seamlessly that makes the movie amazing.
Logan Lucky
Steven Soderbergh directed the movie and returned to the heist genre with Logan Lucky. Daniel Craig appears in this movie as well. It tells the story of two brothers, Jimmy and Clyde. They are played by Channing Tatum and Adam Driver respectively.
The two brothers execute a heist during a NASCAR race and try to avoid being caught by the FBI. The movie shows Soderbergh never lost his touch for stylish action and heist sequences.
The Town
Ben Affleck directed this movie and cemented his status as a true talent behind the camera. In the movie, he also stars as the chief of a thief gang pulling off deadly thefts. At the same time, they try to stay clear of authorities.
While the movie lacks the humor and laughs of Baby Driver, it has a much better and more serious plot.
Ant-Man
You are probably wondering what is Marvel movie doing on the list of movies like Baby Driver. Well, it is all about the director. Edgar Wright was hired to make Ant-Man, but he stepped down due to creative differences.
That enabled him to go and make Baby Driver. And Ant-Man is still a fun movie. It established a special heist film inside the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This was Wright’s initial plot and idea, to steal valuable technology before it gets in the wrong hands.
Bullitt
This classic action movie paved the way for many that followed. Bullitt revolves around the feats of the titular detective who must delve into the criminal underworld. There, he has to clear his name and get vengeance for the killing of a crime witness.
There are many elements that make this movie a fan favorite and cult classic. But the first one is the iconic car, Ford Mustang. Then, we can talk about the San Francisco car chase, and the third is the performance of Steve McQueen.
Ocean’s Eleven
Let’s finish off the list with one of the most iconic heist movies in recent history. Ocean Eleven is also a reboot of an old movie. But this time, it is a much superior version compared to the original source content.
Thanks to an all-star ensemble cast, we get amazing performances all around. The cast includes George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt.
