Films about motor car racing may seem more likely to be among the best-ever car movies, but heist films fit the bill more appropriately. The thrill of watching a getaway driver escaping police custody after committing a heinous crime or pulling off an incredible robbery is unparalleled. So, any car chase sequence is inherently more thrilling than a car race.
Among the best car stunts in movies is the opening of Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, which introduces the getaway driver, played by Ansel Elgort, set to a high octane soundtrack that provides the perfect backdrop to his insane driving skills. The opening scene sets a great pace for the rest of the movie, which stays tense even through slow scenes.
Ever since I watched Baby Driver in 2017, I have looked for other movies like it, but nothing has scratched the specific itch. However, despite a difference in quality, a 2025 movie comes so close to recreating the exact vibe that I loved it. Critics weren’t impressed by it, but Eenie Meanie is exactly what I wanted it to be.
Eenie Meanie Is A Darkly Funny Thriller About A Getaway Driver
Samara Weaving plays Edie, nicknamed the titular “Eeenie Meanie”, an ex-getaway driver for a mob boss, who is finally quitting her past and moving ahead, working a job to get herself through college. A pregnancy test takes her back to her ex, who has fallen out of favor with the mob boss, and needs her help, which she reluctantly offers.
Weaving’s natural charisma and her dry comic timing perfectly complement the sarcastic, frustrated, and on-the-edge energy of her character. Eenie Meanie lives on the border between a tense thriller and an over-the-top chaotic comedy due to the questionable choices made by the characters that both confuse and amuse. The comedy is derived from the unintended consequences of violence and dishonesty.
However, the climactic chase sequence is a showcase of car stunts, Weaving’s ability to portray a character losing her mind, and a calculated collection of coincidences. Eenie Meanie is one of the few movies that can scratch the itch left by Baby Driver because it doesn’t just end with a ride into the sunset, and takes a realistic turn instead.
Eenie Meanie Has More Similarities With Baby Driver
The comparisons between Eenie Meanie and Baby Driver on the grounds of their protagonists’ roles as getaway drivers taken in by mob bosses before going their own way at the end are obvious. However, that’s not where the similarity ends. Eenie Meanie also takes a slow and meandering detour on its way to the climax, much like Baby Driver does.
Both movies have the visual grammar of a style-over-substance approach to storytelling, but both of them actually prioritize the emotional arcs of their protagonists. The ending twist of Eenie Meanie reveals that it has almost the same narrative structure and pace as Baby Driver. Moreover, both films end in a happy scene set further into the future from the rest.
Eenie Meanie’s Story Is Better Than The Ratings Suggest
Despite Samara Weaving’s memorable performance, the high-octane action sequences, and the emotionally charged plotline, Eenie Meanie sits at a disappointing 42% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The negative reviews seem to suggest that its story is poorly written because it’s predictable. However, the strength of Eenie Meanie‘s story was never supposed to be in its plot twists or surprise reveals.
Written by the writers of Deadpool, Eenie Meanie showcases the screenwriters’ talents of tapping into their characters’ and intended audiences’ emotions. They have crafted a compelling and coherent portrait of a woman in a tight spot doing whatever is necessary to survive. Edie is a complex portrait of a person with conflicting instincts who learns how to properly prioritize herself.
Baby Driver Is Still The Best Movie Of Its Kind
The reason I love Eenie Meanie is that I am a fan of Samara Weaving, and it reminds me of my favorite Edgar Wright movie. However, it must be said that Baby Driver still remains unbeaten in my eyes. It has a unique brand of tense but slow-paced narrative development created through dialogue-heavy scenes that are suspenseful despite nothing happening.
However, the reason I love Baby Driver more than other films of its kind is mostly its music. Baby Driver has one of the best movie soundtrack you can listen to on repeat every day, filled with energetic tracks that set the perfect mood for its many chase sequences, and a few romantic songs to complement the central love story.
That last element is also another reason I love the film. You don’t expect gory and gritty crime thrillers, especially heist movies with noir elements, like a doomed hero whose dreams of going clean are challenged constantly, to have a sweet romantic interlude that doesn’t go awry. Yet, Baby Driver gives us a romantic subplot that belongs in a romcom.
Eenie Meanie Could Become A Cult Classic In Future
Even if it doesn’t measure up to Edgar Wright’s movie, Eenie Meanie is a memorable crime thriller, especially because it focuses on themes that are detached from the criminal storyline. The rise in Eenie Meanie‘s viewership on streaming charts is why I am convinced that, despite low ratings, it is beloved enough among viewers to become a cult classic someday.
