Fast, Exciting, Fun.

Rating: 8/10 (30 June 2017)

This is a movie about car chases, and Edgar Wright's script and direction expertly keeps this movie's pedal to the metal. It is relentless and never lets up, due in large part to the clever idea of playing a soundtrack of fun and exciting songs continuously throughout the movie with only the briefest of interruptions.
The story is simple and unoriginal as can be: a young guy owes one last debt to a criminal boss, only to be sucked back into the world of crime while seeking a way out. But while lesser movies would bore us with a dozen redundant cliché backstories, melodramatic romances and enough self-serious dialogue to make the Fast and the Furious series seem like Shakespeare, Wright avoids it all and focuses the attention on the thrills. Think "Whiplash" meets "True Romance" meets "21" and you've got a general idea of the movie.
Wright's direction is as originally compelling as ever, and he's probably one of the only directors who can make pressing an elevator button seem cool. There is one particular scene in which the main character ("Baby") is asked to survey the location of the next heist that has such a small yet smart twist that serves as a perfect microcosm for the elevation Wright brings to this genre.
The acting is superb, with Jon Hamm's charismatically dangerous performance being the biggest standout, and Kevin Spacey's acting somehow manages not to chew up his scenes like one would expect. The film is not without its flaws – there isn't a strong antagonist, the plot isn't smooth and some characters are in need of better payoffs – but there's enough here for repeat viewings, or at the very least, a fun time at the movies.