El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)

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Writer/Director: Vince Gilligan

Cast: Aaron Paul, Jesse Plemons, Krysten Ritter, Charles Baker, Matt Jones, Robert Forster, Jonathan Banks, Bryan Cranston, Scott Shepherd



Released from the meth-dealing Nazis who enslaved him and on the run from the law, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) makes one last desperate bid to reclaim his life.

 


At first, I thought this epilogue to one of the greatest TV series of all time was probably unnecessary, but show creator and X-Files veteran Vince Gilligan had earned the benefit of the doubt through the quality of his work.

 


My faith was not misplaced.

 


This film is essential for completing Jesse’s character arc, transforming him from a victim who is acted upon by the manipulations of others to a man who reclaims his agency and his life. 



Where his “mentor,” Walter White (Bryan Cranston), spent five seasons destroying his relationships and isolating himself, Jesse has friends and connections to call upon.

 


This film allows us to leave the world of Breaking Bad with a sense of hope that does not violate established themes rather than merely contemplating the desolation that has become of the characters’ lives.

 


The entire cast is magnificent, but Robert Forster stands out as the no-nonsense, world-weary Ed Galbraith.







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