“We are Sex Bob-omb, and we are here to make you think about death and get sad and stuff!” 15 years ago today, Edgar Wright attempted to take August audiences by storm with his adaptation of the graphic novel, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The film stars Michael Cera as the titular Scott Pilgrim, an unmotivated bass player who falls in love with the mysterious Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). However, in order for the two to be together, Scott must defeat her former partners. Despite bombing at the box office at the time, Scott Pilgrim became a cult classic. Now 15 years later, this movie has aged like fine wine, proving Wright was ahead of his time as one of the most inventive auteurs of his generation.

Sometimes you look at a cast of a movie and ask “How on earth did they manage to get all these talented people here?” Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is one such example. At the time, Michael Cera and Jason Schwartzman were the most notable names from the cast. However now looking at it, you have future Oscar winners, Kieran Culkin and Brie Larson; a future Emmy nominee, Aubrey Plaza; and a future Avenger, Chris Evans, just one year before his debut in Captain America: The First Avenger. Not only that, this is a cast featuring Anna Kendrick, Ellen Wong, Mae Whitman, Alison Pill, Brandon Routh, and Bill Hader. With the Academy now recognizing casting directors in future ceremonies, an honorary award needs to be given to casting directors Jennifer Euston, Allison Jones, and Robin D. Cook for this landmark cast.

Unlike other comic book movies at the time (and even today), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World has a unique visual style that has aged incredibly well. From the opening 8-bit Universal logo, it was clear that Wright was leaning into the gaming world through inventive means. The editing is kinetic; the visual effects appeared as high-tech on a budget, leaning into the indie edge of the movie; and many of the scenes are a love letter to anime. The sight gag of Scott jumping out the window to avoid his high school girlfriend Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) with a perfect match cut is one of Wright’s most iconic shots. There’s a precision and rhythm to each scene that is hard to replicate, yet Wright makes it look so easy. 

The legacy of Scott Pilgrim’s music can’t be overstated. Music is essential to the DNA of Scott Pilgrim: from a plot-perspective and its legacy. Scott Pilgrim is in an indie band, Sex Bob-omb. As he continues to face the League of Ramona’s Evil Exes, he often faces them at battle of the bands gigs or other band performances. Musicians like Beck and Metric came together to give Scott Pilgrim its distinctive indie rock sound. In a way, it remains a time capsule of ‘00s alternative-indie rock that still hits. Want proof? Fans waited years for an official version of Envy Adams’ “Black Sheep” to become available, which finally was in a re-release of the album in 2021. 

Since Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Edgar Wright has gone on to complete his Cornetto trilogy with The World’s End, as well as directed Baby Driver, The Sparks Brothers, and Last Night in Soho. This fall, his adaptation of The Running Man starring Glen Powell hits theaters. We often discuss the great auteurs working in Hollywood, and yet I feel as though Wright is consistently underrated. Sure, his early films, like Scott Pilgrim, weren’t box office giants; but by remaining true to his vision, Wright has carved out a place for himself. He’s one of the directors, like Christopher Nolan and Wes Anderson, who is his own draw to the theaters. Wright’s visual style, tight scripts, impressive camera work, and deep love of filmmaking as a whole makes him one of the most inventive directors active today. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is proof that creativity can be triumphant (even if it’s delayed!)