Allan Watched "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie"
**Spoiler Warning: If you have not watched Breaking Bad and plan on doing so, there will be spoilers in here and I would just scroll down to the final score**
Compelling, deliberate, and as satisfying as a Break Bad episode, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is everything fans of the show wanted, and a fittingly perfect epilogue for one of television’s greatest characters and stories of all time.
Gut Feeling
Thank. God. It is so hard to follow up on something as perfect as Breaking Bad, but El Camino delivers. It certainly feels more like a final episode of a TV show than a film, but nevertheless the suspense and pitch-perfect execution by Vince Gilligan makes this film a masterpiece in its own right.
Oh Jesse
Is there a character who has more polarizing luck than Jesse Pinkman? The dude has had the worst life, which combines self inflicted wounds and horrible luck, yet here he is still kicking at the beginning of the film, which takes place immediately after the great ending of Break Bad. We get the chance to relive a lot of Jesse’s pain throughout El Camino, through a variety of flashbacks and new information that is sprinkled throughout, all while Jesse tries to finally get the hell out of that miserable desert and start a new life.
Aaron Paul reprises his stardom-launching role in beautiful fashion, showing the years of pain yet enormous growth since we first met him cooking shit meth without the help of your friendly neighborhood science teacher. Paul is at his best when Jesse is contemplating his horrible existence, as well as when he steps into his thousandth bear trap set by his arrogance. He drives the film without the help of the great Bryan Cranston, and proves that he was as much a reason for Breaking Bad’s incredible run as Walter White was.
Gilligan In His Zone
El Camino is a nice reminder that creator/writer/director Vince Gilligan is not a one-trick pony. Obviously Breaking Bad is his masterpiece, but as we get to see with Better Call Saul, the world he created is bountiful and loaded with more stories to tell. In many ways, Jesse is the most relatable character of Saul, Walt, and him, and watching Gilligan pull the thread of this last chapter of a story we all never wanted to end was a real treat . As for the direction, it is perfect; no one creates suspense quite like Gilligan. From tiny vacuum cleaner shops to a man spraying down his flowers, every moment is intense.
There is no drop-off in writing either. You never question the insanity because we are so bought into this world he created, and even though the main plot points feel somewhat minor compared to how big everything felt at the end of Break Bad, there is not a single superfluous scene.
Random Thoughts
It is such a relief this was amazing. There is nothing worse than bringing back a show/character/movie that we all love and having it be a total dud (sorry Joey).
This movie gives me hope that The Many Saints of Newark, the Sopranos prequel, will be great too. It proves you can recapture the magic of something from the past, although it’s been about a dozen years since we said goodbye to Tony, rather than just the few years without Walt.
The last two and a half seasons of Breaking Bad are the greatest TV seasons in history, while The Sopranos is the greatest full series in history. I will not be taking questions on this matter.
Does anyone contemplate their shit existence as well (or often) as Aaron Paul playing Jesse?
There has to be a supercut of Jesse just crouched down, brooding, and thinking it is all over for him somewhere on YouTube right?
I always want to play GTA V when I watch BB, and now this film, and I think it’s because of the desert map.
Any sight or reference of Jane makes me want to cry instantly.
Whenever Jesse says “bitch” you know he is in the middle of a terrible miscalculation.
Two title drops back to back early, but they weren’t forced. They were beautiful.
Badger and Skinny Pete (Matt Jones and Charles Baker) were maybe as entertaining as their characters ever were. And they make really lovely hosts.
The great Robert Foster (Jackie Brown, Twin Peaks) was fantastic reprising his role from the penultimate episode of the series. Foster unfortunately passed away the day the movie was released. He was a truly underrated force.
How many times have I seen this movie?
First time! The next time will likely be after I rewatch Breaking Bad again.
Where was I watching it?
This one got dicey. I started the movie watching at home with Kellye’s cousin Sean, but we didn’t time it right and had to leave with 18 minutes left for a family party. So I then finished it in the home office. The chopped up viewing did not hinder the experience, luckily.
Favorite trivia about the movie
Not really about the movie, but about the Breaking Bad world: Gilligan’s entire premise of BB was what happens when the hero becomes the villain and that always sticks with me. Brilliance is usually rooted in simplicity.
Favorite part
Everything with Badger and Skinny Pete.
Least favorite part
The only scene that felt a little forced was the most notable one, I will leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
Would I recommend this movie?
If you liked Breaking Bad, I do not see how you skip this film. It’s on Netflix, and it is worth it. If you haven’t watching Breaking Bad, it is still enjoyable, but will not be as powerful. It is worth watching the series first. It is also on Netflix. Watch. It.
So What Does Allan Give It?
Two Gold Thumbs Up! Overall, a score of 91. A fitting epilogue to one of TV’s greatest shows ever made. We love you Jesse Pinkman.
