Every Edgar Wright Movie, Ranked by How Funny They Are (original) (raw)

Published Oct 20, 2023, 12:00 PM EDT

Liam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for ten years. Between relentlessly adding new titles to his watchlist and attending as many screenings as he can, Liam is always watching new movies and television shows.

In addition to reviewing, writing, and commentating on both new and old releases, Liam has interviewed talent such as Mark Wahlberg, Jesse Plemons, Sam Mendes, Billy Eichner, Dylan O'Brien, Luke Wilson, and B.J. Novak. Liam aims to get his spec scripts produced and currently writes short films and stage plays. He lives in Allentown, PA.

Edgar Wright has a signature filmmaking style like no other director working today. While it's easy to consider all his films to be parodies of popular genres, the British filmmaker is quite thoughtful in how he constructs his stories and sense of humor.

Each of Wright's films may borrow from beloved classics, but that doesn't mean they're ripoffs. The director has a singular talent to imbue them with his trademark style, a kinetic and hectic approach full of biting and irresistible humor. Nearly all his films have comedic elements, but some tower over others in the laugh-out-loud department.

7 'Last Night In Soho' (2021)

Matt Smith and Anya Taylor Joy in Last Night in Soho

Image via A24

Last Night In Sohois an outlier within Wright's filmography. While the majority of his films are at least somewhat comedic, _Last Night In Soho_contains almost none of his trademark humor. The film centers its focus on the young Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) as she slips into a vision about a woman from the past named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), who appears to be living in fear of her boyfriend Jack (Matt Smith).

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The film pays homage to horror classics like Repulsion and Suspiria but uses its references in a comedic way; Wright attempted to emulate the style of the films that influenced him rather than lampoon them. The film's last sequences are so scary that it almost doesn't feel like it came from the director of Spaced. Indeed, Last Night in Soho proves Wright doesn't need to rely on humorous banter to make his films entertaining.

6 'The Sparks Brothers' (2021)

The all-time best documentaries are informative and entertaining, but Wright proved that a non-narrative film can also be humorous. Wright's 2021 documentary The Sparks Brothersexplores the fascinating working relationship between the musicians Ron Mael and Russell Mael, whose band Sparks had a significant influence on the music industry.

The two musicians are fairly idiosyncratic and often lampoon their own success, but the film treks into more serious territory when it explores what drove the two men to pursue their craft. While not as funny as some of Wright's narrative films, The Sparks Brothers includes some additional comedy thanks to the interviews conducted with celebrities like Patton Oswalt and "Weird Al" Yankovic.

5 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World' (2010)

Michael Cera as Scott Pilgrim crushing a cup and Mary Elizabeth Winstead looking towards him while standing against a wall in Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Wright may be best known for his original projects, but Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a rare exception, inspired by the beloved comic book series of the same name. The plot centers on the titular character, a Canadian slacker who must find his girlfriend's seven evil exes.

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Wright proved that he could take the frames of a comic and bring them to life; the film is packed with visual detail, with in-jokes referencing the history of comic books, video games, rock music, and animation. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World feels like it's celebrating an entire generation of popular culture. While Scott Pilgrim vs. The World may be beloved for its rapid-fire humor, Michael Cera's performance as the titular hero can get a little grating at times. It's not enough to detract from the film's appeal, but it does make it harder to relate to Scott in some situations.

4 'Baby Driver' (2017)

Ansel Elgort and Jon Hamm in a car in Baby Driver

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Baby Driverwas a grittier project from Wright. Crafted in the style of classic car chase movies like Bullitt and The Getaway, the 2017 action thriller follows the young getaway driver Baby (Ansel Elgort) as he falls in love with the waitress Deborah (Lily James). Although Baby sees the new romance within his life as a potential escape from the criminal world, he must escape the influence of his employer.

The stakes are serious in this sleek, dynamic action thriller, which remains among Wright's most polished efforts. However, the film's synchronization with certain musical cues gives it a lot of comedic value. The ensemble's performances are also noteworthy, with Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, and Eiza González responsible for many of the film's most humorous moments.

3 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004)

Shaun of the Dead

Image via Universal Pictures

Shaun of the Deadput Wright on the map. It stars Simon Pegg as Shaun, a down-on-his-luck London salesman who, along with his best friend, Ed (Nick Frost), is faced with tragedy when he tries to protect his friends and family from the undead invasion.

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The 2004 horror comedy may have drawn its name from the films of George Romero, but it actually contained a more profound message about society's strict adherence to routines. As Wright points out with an amusing attention-to-detail, mankind has become so reliant on doing the same thing every day that they start to resemble zombies. However, Shaun of the Dead does contain multiple hilarious, irreverent moments courtesy of the now-iconic pairing of Pegg and Frost.

2 'Hot Fuzz' (2007)

Two police officers sit in a car eating Cornetto ice creams in 'Hot Fuzz'.

Image via Rogue Pictures

Hot Fuzz is a masterpiece of modern comedy. The film follows the overly-committed London police officer Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), who learns about what defines classic "buddy cop comedies" as he works alongside his new partner, Danny Butterman (Nick Frost).

There's an inherent level of comedy in most "buddy cop" action movies, so it was ambitious for Wright to try to make a parody of the genre. _Hot Fuzz_feels like such a work of genius because the characters themselves acknowledge the confines of the genre, referencing classics such as Bad Boys II and Point Break. Although the acknowledgment of action movie history is quite amusing it points, Hot Fuzz's conclusion feels genuinely intense due to the heavy amount of gore that Wright utilizes. Still, everything that comes before is comedic brilliance galore.

1 'The World's End' (2013)

Image via Focus Features

The World's Endis simultaneously Wright's funniest and most mature film. It follows the lifelong slacker Gary King (Simon Pegg) as he wrangles his high school best friends Andy (Nick Frost), Oliver (Martin Freeman), Peter (Eddie Marsan), and Steven (Paddy Considine) into joining him on a pub crawl that they had attempted to complete when they were younger. However, things quickly go south when aliens invade their town.

The film contains a mature message about how Gary's habit has become unsustainable. However, the banter between the characters and the surprising sci-fi twist adds a layer of comedy that elevates it to brilliance. The World's End is the most nuanced film within Wright's entire filmography - not to mention the funniest.

NEXT: Every Quentin Tarantino Movie, Ranked by How Funny They Are