25 Great Movies Like Baby Driver That Are Worth Your Time

Like "Baby Driver," "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is something of a genre mash-up. A spy flick in the vein of James Bond, it aims to reinvent the genre with more humor, creativity, and gore than the franchise it frequently references. The film follows a young man named Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a working-class Londoner who begins training to join a secret spy organization called the Kingsman. He competes with other young hopefuls to see who will fill the spot of a recently deceased agent. Eggsy then joins a mission to try and defeat Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), a wealthy megalomaniac who wants to deal with climate change by wiping out most of the human race. Colin Firth and Michael Caine also star in the film.

As Emily VanDerWerff puts it in Vox, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is "basically 'Harry Potter' with spies." Like "Baby Driver," it blends action and comedy masterfully while making clear nods to the films that inspired it: Edgar Wright references classic heist movies like "Bonnie & Clyde" and "The French Connection," and "Kingsman: The Secret Service" can't help but incessantly wink at James Bond, the king of all British spy franchises. That being said, while Wright is British, "Baby Driver" feels like a very American film. If you're looking for an action movie that's best watched with tea and crumpets, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is your best bet.

If we're talking about action movies with killer soundtracks, there's absolutely no way we can overlook "Atomic Blonde." Helmed by "John Wick" co-creator David Leitch, "Atomic Blonde" stars Charlize Theron as skilled MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton. Lorraine is sent to Berlin to retrieve a very important list just days before the fall of the Berlin Wall. While there, she encounters wayward MI6 agent David Percival (James McAvoy), who she's not sure she can trust, and French spy Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella), who's in way over her head.

"Atomic Blonde" is worth watching for two reasons — it boasts incredible action sequences and it has a spectacular soundtrack. Director David Leitch is a stuntman and stunt coordinator himself, and the stunts (many of which Theron actually performed herself) are where his film shines: There's a stunning one-take action sequence that really takes the cake. The soundtrack, which contains music almost exclusively from the '80s time period in which "Atomic Blonde" is set, heightens the stylish tone of the film. It can feel a bit like style over substance at times (a criticism that some have lobbied at "Baby Driver" as well), but when the style is this good, who are we to complain?

"Baby Driver" is a heist movie about going on the run in the name of love, so it's only right we include the prototypical lovers-on-the-run film on this list. Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde" is a stone-cold classic. The film stars Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty as real-life Depression-era bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Clyde is a petty thief who falls head-over-heels for Bonnie, a small-town girl who has become deeply dissatisfied with her mundane life. While their crimes are initially small, they eventually level up to bank robbery, hitting locations all over the United States. Because it's the Great Depression and the banks are seen as the enemy, they quickly become folk heroes among the townspeople of America.

Cinema wouldn't be what it is today without "Bonnie and Clyde," and movies like "Baby Driver" owe a lot to this film. It became a symbol of counterculture in the late 1960s and was actually one of the films that led to the collapse of Hollywood's censorship rules, known as the Hays Code. "It was the spectacular domino that set off a chain reaction that toppled a studio system that was getting ready to collapse in on itself," Variety said of the film. For those interested in Hollywood history, "Bonnie and Clyde" is a great place to start, but if you simply want to be entertained, the movie offers that, too.

Like "Baby Driver," Guy Ritchie's "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." is an action-packed thrill ride that takes much of its inspiration from the past. Based on the '60s TV show of the same name, the film is set at the height of the Cold War. It follows a CIA agent (Henry Cavill) and a KGB operative (Armie Hammer) who are forced to put aside their differences to stop a secret organization that plans to upset the fragile armistice between the United States and the Soviet Union by using nuclear weapons. The unlikely pair sets out to find the daughter of a German scientist who has disappeared (Alicia Vikander), as she may be the only person who can avert a nuclear catastrophe.

"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." is a stylish thriller that blends comedy elements with high-powered action, much like "Baby Driver." While "Baby Driver" draws inspiration from heist movies of years gone by, "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." takes cues from mid-century spy movies like the early James Bond entries, as well as the television series upon which it was based. If suave and sophisticated spies trying to work together for a common goal sounds like your thing, then you need to check this film out.

Another film that contains one of the most iconic car chases in history is 1968's "Bullitt," starring counterculture hero Steve McQueen. Edgar Wright found inspiration in this classic movie during the making of "Baby Driver," as he revealed to Slashfilm. "I think when Bullitt came out it was notable in terms of it having a car chase sequence that fully dominates the movie, and the whole film is building up to it," he said. Though "Baby Driver" is notable for its use of music, the beloved chase sequence in "Bullitt" actually contains no music — all the audience hears is the screeching of tires. The film takes place in San Francisco, and it makes good use of the city's famous hills. Wright connected to helmer Peter Yates' outsider perspective as a British director making his first American film.

"Bullitt" is the story of the fantastically named Frank Bullitt (McQueen), a police lieutenant who is tasked with protecting a witness due to testify at the trial of a mob boss. When things start to go wrong, Bullitt doesn't know who to trust, leading him to race through the streets of San Francisco chasing after mobsters. The chase sequence remains one of the most thrilling ever filmed, and — as Wright noted — McQueen did most of the driving himself. It's no wonder "Baby Driver" took inspiration from "Bullitt," seeing as McQueen is considered one of the most iconic on-screen drivers in American cinema.

When you think of director Tony Scott, you probably think of one movie: "Top Gun." Starring Tom Cruise, the film follows a maverick (literally, that's his name) fighter pilot and features a memorable soundtrack. Though we love "Top Gun" and urge you to watch it if you haven't already, there's another Tony Scott film you should also add to your list. Released in 1990, "Days of Thunder” follows rookie racecar driver Cole Trickle (also Tom Cruise), who is mentored by a veteran crew chief named Harry Hodge (Robert Duvall). When Cole and another driver, Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker), get into a near-fatal accident, Cole has to build up the confidence to race again. At the same time, he falls in love with a doctor — played by curly-haired and Australian-accented Nicole Kidman — who hates racecar driving.

While it may not be quite as memorable, "Days of Thunder" has all the 1980s cheesiness of "Top Gun," and we mean that in a good way. It boasts an incredible, synth-filled score by Hans Zimmer that sticks with you long after the credits have rolled. It's also Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's first (of three) films together, and the young Kidman shines as a no-nonsense doctor. If you like all the driving action of "Baby Driver" but want something even more macho and bombastic, you should watch "Days of Thunder" as soon as possible.

Released in 2017, "Logan Lucky" is another endlessly fun film from "Ocean's Eleven" mastermind Steven Soderbergh. It follows Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum), a West Virginia man who is laid off from his job at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jimmy decides to pull off a heist at the speedway, recruiting his brother, Clyde (Adam Driver), his sister, Mellie (Riley Keough), and a demolition expert named Joe Bang (Daniel Craig). Things get tricky when the gang is forced to pull off the heist in the middle of a NASCAR race, all while trying to evade a dogged FBI agent (Hilary Swank).

Like "Baby Driver," "Logan Lucky" combines elements of action and comedy to produce its own unique atmosphere. The film is also very clearly in conversation with other heist movies, including Soderbergh's most famous film: The speedway heist is even referred to as "Ocean's Seven-Eleven" during a news report. With an all-star cast and enough charm to fill a NASCAR track, "Logan Lucky" is your best bet for a good time.

2002's "The Transporter" skyrocketed its star Jason Statham into action hero fame. Statham stars as Frank Martin, a former military man who works as a "transporter," moving goods from one location to another. Frank has three rules: Never change the deal, no names, and never look in the package. His latest mission seems no different than any other until his package starts moving. He breaks rule number three and looks inside the package, finding a gagged woman (Shu Qi). Frank quickly breaks his two other rules as well, leading him down a dangerous path that takes him in unexpected directions.

"The Transporter" is a film that can most accurately be described as a high-octane thriller. The plot is mostly an excuse for Statham to run around shooting things while carrying women on his shoulders, which is what we've come to expect from the no-nonsense Brit in the years since. If "Baby Driver" was a little too sentimental for you, check out "The Transporter" instead for some good old-fashioned macho fun.

As "Baby Driver" director Edgar Wright put it while chatting to Slashfilm, his film "couldn't even exist without 'The Driver.'" Released in 1978, the film is directed by Walter Hill and follows an expert getaway driver (Ryan O'Neal). Just like in 2011's "Drive," the driver in the film is known only as the Driver. In fact, none of the characters in this film have names: Bruce Dern is known as the Detective, while Isabelle Adjani goes simply by the Player. The plot of the film follows the Driver as he tries to evade the Detective, with the help of the clever Player.

"The Driver" is not only an influential film for Wright, but has been for directors like Michael Mann, James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino, and Nicolas Winding Refn as well. Like the aforementioned "Bullitt," "The Driver" has some incredible car chase sequences that feature very little music and instead highlight the sounds of the chase itself. Though Wright certainly took a different approach in the music-heavy "Baby Driver," "The Driver" is a film you should definitely watch if you want to get a sense of where it all began.

The '80s hit "The Blues Brothers" follows siblings Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd), who reunite after Jake gets released from prison. Known as the Blues Brothers, the duo decides to raise money to save the orphanage they grew up in. They plan to do so by getting their band back together and playing some shows, but they find this task more and more difficult as enemies pop up left and right.

Like "Baby Driver," "The Blues Brothers" mixes genres — it's simultaneously a musical, a comedy, and an action film — so it's no surprise that Edgar Wright counts it among his influences for the film. As Wright said during his Slashfilm interview, the movie has both "the most destructive car chases ever" and also the "biggest visual gags with deadpan reactions," making it a totally unique and wholly entertaining film. The most obvious connection between "Baby Driver" and "The Blues Brothers" is the sunglasses — Belushi and Aykroyd rarely take off their sunglasses in "The Blues Brothers," and Ansel Elgort also wears his for much of the film. If you haven't seen this absolute classic, take Wright's advice and check it out.

Music is obviously very important in "Baby Driver," as the titular character uses music to soundtrack his getaways (and his life in general). For Edgar Wright, there's one film that heavily influenced the musical landscape of "Baby Driver." Released in 1971 and directed by Richard Sarafian, "Vanishing Point" follows a Vietnam War vet named Kowalski (Barry Newman), who is a driver for hire with a pill addiction. Hired to transport a car from Colorado to California, Kowalski decides to have a little fun by making a bet with his drug dealer: If he makes it to California in under 15 hours, his next hit is free. Unfortunately, Kowalski's reckless driving leads to a police chase, with a DJ named Super Soul (Cleavon Little) covering the story and turning him into a folk hero.

There's one particular scene in "Vanishing Point" that struck Wright as especially inspiring. During one of the police chase sequences, Kowalski is driving his white Challenger when one song ends and another begins. As Wright noted while speaking with Slashfilm, having two songs play consecutively like this is pretty rare in movies, and it's a trick he uses multiple times throughout "Baby Driver." If good music and car chases are your bag (which they probably are if you like "Baby Driver"), then you should definitely check out "Vanishing Point."

Arguably one of the best Quentin Tarantino films is actually one Tarantino didn't direct himself. 1993's "True Romance," which was written by Tarantino but helmed by "Top Gun" and "Days of Thunder" director Tony Scott, is truly a hidden gem. The film follows a comic book fanatic and Elvis superfan named Clarence (Christian Slater), who falls in love with a sex worker named Alabama (Patricia Arquette). Clarence confronts Alabama's pimp at his club and ends up killing him. On the way out of the club, he grabs a suitcase that happens to be filled with cocaine. Clarence and Alabama then go on the road, hoping to sell the cocaine on their way, but are confronted by the mob instead.

With an incredible supporting cast that includes the likes of Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, James Gandolfini, Brad Pitt, Dennis Hopper, and Val Kilmer, the movie is a total crowd-pleaser, as long as you can handle a little Tarantino vulgarity. The film also includes yet another iconic Hans Zimmer score, which, somewhat unexpectedly, features marimbas quite prominently — although the marimbas are not actually that surprising when you consider the fact that the Terrence Malick film "Badlands" was actually a big inspiration for "True Romance." If you're looking to watch two oddballs go on the run, "True Romance" will scratch that itch.

The last film on this list is another Steve McQueen picture, and, as you likely already guessed from the title, it features a lot of driving. Directed by Sam Peckinpah, 1972's "The Getaway" follows an incarcerated thief named Doc (McQueen), who has been denied parole from a Texas prison. He asks his wife, Carol (Ali MacGraw), to cut a deal with a man named Jack Beynon (Ben Johnson) to secure his release. Beynon agrees on the condition that Doc helps him with one final heist, along with two of his henchmen. The only problem is, Beynon has planned to double-cross Doc, and he and Carol are forced to go on the run to Mexico, taking the money with them.

Like the 1969 version of "The Italian Job," "The Getaway" features an incredible score by the acclaimed musician Quincy Jones. Though it initially received negative reviews, it was the eighth-highest grossing film of 1972 and has since been received more positively by critics. With some electric chemistry between McQueen and MacGraw and a score from Jones, you really can't go wrong.