In Summer 2017, Hollywood reached peak block-buster ad-nauseum. “Baby Driver” looked like it was going to be more of the same – another cliched action film riddled with car chases and explosions. Going to the theater, I was prepared to be thoroughly bored. Yet, within minutes of the film starting, “Baby Driver” had my complete attention and wouldn’t let go. “Baby Driver”  – Edgar Wright’s newest feature –  is rip-roaring, non-stop, cinematic eye candy.  Wright was able to buck all action film tropes and make something wholly original with “Baby Driver.” It’s ambitious, colorful, and chock-full of entertainment, but it never skips on substance. “Baby Driver” whisks audiences away into a turbo-charged, adrenaline-fueled joy-ride.

The film follows “Baby,” a young getaway driver who’s eager to ditch of his life of crime. Due to an old debt, “Baby” remains attached to an unsavory group of characters. Kevin Spacey acts as the all-powerful mastermind behind the gang of thugs.

Due to an accident as a child, Baby developed ringing in his ears and listens to music to drown out the noise, which introduces the film’s brilliant soundtrack. The audience is invited into Baby’s internal reality through his headphones.The soundtrack of the film goes beyond setting the mood and tone of the work; it nearly takes the place of dialog. Since Baby rarely speaks in the film, it unites the audience with how he is feeling. Every little step, beat, and motion is perfectly synced to the film’s score. “Baby Driver” is cinematically groundbreaking, equal parts avant-garde and classic. The car chase scenes are unbeatable, and the budding romance between “Baby” and the darling “Debra” is shot like a old-fashioned romance. The film is full of hidden-gems, as Wright references other works throughout the piece. He even hides song lyrics in graffiti.

Overall, “Baby Driver” is sweet, fun, bloody, romantic, humorous – and everything a great film should be. It’s unique and stands out in its genre. Without question, it will be a touchstone for new filmmakers and a cult-classic, if not an instant classic.

Kayla Stetzel is a senior studying marketing and management.