With The Running Man about to premiere, we are ranking every film Edgar Wright has directed, from worst to best.
There are few directors today with a style as distinctive as Edgar Wright’s. Over nearly three decades, Wright has crafted a career through unique, chaotic direction, blending sound, image, and timing to create captivating works. Now, he ventures into new territory.
The Running Man, a reimagining of the 1987 Schwarzenegger classic, releases this week. It is Wright’s most ambitious project yet: a full-scale, near-future action thriller adapted from Stephen King’s dystopian novel. This is an unexpected move for a director best known for fast-paced comedy and pop culture pastiche. Yet Wright has never conformed to a single mold.
As excitement builds for The Running Man, we revisited Wright’s entire filmography. Here are his films ranked from worst to best.
Before the iconic Cornetto Trilogy, Wright created A Fistful of Fingers. This no-budget Western spoof was made by a 20-year-old Wright using a borrowed camera and overflowing creativity. The plot follows a cowboy hunting the man who killed his horse. It is rough and messy but reveals the roots of Wright’s signature style: love of genre, quick cuts, and visual gags.
“It’s essentially a Western spoof about a cowboy tracking down the wanted man who killed his horse.”
This debut shows the DNA of Wright’s later work despite its raw edges.
Author’s summary: Edgar Wright’s filmography showcases his evolution from raw, genre-loving beginnings to bold, genre-defying storytelling, culminating in his most ambitious thriller, The Running Man.