Although he hasn't made a movie since 2021's Last Night in Soho, Edgar Wright is still consistently in the news, especially since he's slated to direct the upcoming remake of Stephen King's The Running Man. Before that becomes available to the public (there is no release date in sight), audiences should get more familiar with the director.
Wright has plenty of iconic trademarks that show up in all of his movies which help define him as a filmmaker. They've also helped make sure that all of his projects have been met with positive reviews, including with the users on Letterboxd.
8 A Fistful Of Fingers (1995) - 2.71
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The only Edgar Wright movie to not have higher than a 3.0 average on Letterboxd is his first feature film. That would be 1995's A Fistful of Fingers, which is a little-seen British comedy about a cowboy who goes after a wanted man following the death of his horse.
As usual, Wright both wrote and directed the picture and though the response was solid, he wouldn't make another feature film until nearly a decade later. Most critics felt that Wright showed a lot of potential and made the most of a small budget, setting the tone for the rest of his career.
7 Last Night In Soho (2021) - 3.47
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The most recent entry into Wright's filmography is also in the conversation for his most ambitious. Last Night in Soho is another completely original story from the filmmaker that focuses on a young fashion design student who can travel to the '60s through dreams and gets caught up in the harrowing world of a singer from the era.
Filled with stunning visuals, great music, and more, Last Night in Soho shined, especially thanks to the standout performances by Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie. Alas, there were some viewers who weren't too pleased with the third act and felt that it let down the rest of the movie, holding it back against other Wright films.
6 The World's End (2013) - 3.57
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The thing that Edgar Wright is most famous for is his work on the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, which all come from his brilliant mind. After two stellar films to start the series, Wright culminated things with The World's End, which is a parody of the sci-fi genre.
The story sees a group of friends return to their hometown for a pub crawl that just happens to take place during an alien invasion. With such high standards set by the previous entries, this failed to live up to expectations but was still considered a success. It even took home Best British Film at the Empire Awards and feels like a solid ending to the series.
5 Baby Driver (2017) - 3.77
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According to Wright himself, Baby Driver is a movie he wanted to make since he was just starting as a filmmaker. He even had the entire opening scene laid out for nearly as long, which is likely why it came off so well and is viewed as one of the best chase sequences in cinema history.
Baby Driver follows a getaway driver who has to escape the criminal underworld that he's been trapped in for so long. What made this movie special was the use of music as action scenes were edited and choreographed to the songs the protagonist listens to due to his tinnitus. Along with being a commercial hit, the film was up for three Academy Awards.
4 The Sparks Brothers (2021) - 3.84
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At this point, it feels like Edgar Wright has tried his hand at basically every genre imaginable, so it lines up that he'd direct a documentary at some point. That came in 2021 with The Sparks Brothers, which looks at the lives of Russell and Ron Mael, better known as the rock duo Sparks.
It was interesting to see this director attached here because a documentary format doesn't allow for many of Wright's signature trademarks. Regardless, the film was praised for being accessible and including interviews from big stars while discussing a cult favorite in the music industry.
3 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010) - 3.87
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Movies based on comic books and video games are littered throughout Hollywood history but very rarely has a film actually felt like one of those other mediums. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World manages to pull it off thanks to the frantic energy imbued by Edgar Wright.
From snap cuts to uses of panels to zany action, everything about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World feels unique. The story deals with a slacker who must face his new girlfriend's seven evil exes in order to date her. Nearly every aspect was praised, including a stellar cast featuring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Brie Larson, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, and more.
2 Shaun Of The Dead (2004) - 3.99
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It's the film that made Edgar Wright famous. Nine years after his debut release, Wright wrote and directed Shaun of the Dead, which is a parody of the zombie genre. In the process, he happened to make one of the best films to ever be part of that genre.
This was where Wright really got the chance to strut his stuff, debuting some of his famous editing techniques and showcasing his genius use of music to set a scene. As the first installment in the Cornetto Trilogy, it established that Wright was a filmmaker on the rise.
1 Hot Fuzz (2007) - 4.05
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Shaun of the Dead set a high bar for the Cornetto Trilogy, yet Wright managed to live up to them with his follow-up. Where the original parodied zombie flicks and the third entry covered sci-fi, Hot Fuzz poked fun at the action genre.
Again starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, this film sees them as two police officers in a small village who investigate a series of murders and find some unexpected corruption behind it all. Hot Fuzz was both a critical and commercial success that many still hold up as the director's greatest work.