El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
It has been six years since the end of writer, director and creator Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad came to a fulfilling and sufficient conclusion with critical acclaim. A long-gestured television follow up came to fruition as a sequel/prequel following Bob Odenkirk's Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul. Gaining a newfound appreciation for the franchise — as well as enormous amounts of significant praise in the process — Gilligan once again returns to the directors chair with the aptly-titled El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, chronicling and concluding his series with the arc of Jessie Pinkman after the events of Felina.
Shot in total secrecy and released exclusively on NETFLIX, El Camino is a perfect, albeit a deeply unnecessary piece of the puzzle. One of the greatest strengths that Breaking Bad's climax had was the open-ended arc to Jessie Pinkman. It ended and began in the exact same breath — a challenging but perfect sentiment for any series to accomplish, more so for a series finale. Going back to conclude and answer the profound mystery to Pinkman's circumstance does slightly undercut the poignancy of the perfection that is Felina. That being said, Gilligan finds and serves a terrific balance of fan service and authentic character trajectory that not only honours the series but puts a most definitive full stop.
The pacing is electric, and alongside all of Gilligan's productions, it is edited to perfection by editor Skip Macdonald. Slick and constant at a rapid pace, the film’s pacing is perfectly implemented to showcase the rush and mindset of a very different Pinkman to what fans know. It is arguably Aaron Paul'smost magnificent performance to date. Taking the lead this time around opens up the emotional range and development to another side of Pinkman very rarely seen. A far more paranoid and unrestraint version appears, which leads to a tense and jittery trajectory with no apparent way out. It is not only the most exceptional rendition of the Pinkman character to date but stands as a massive impression into the filmography of Paul.
The film, on the whole, looks absolutely stunning throughout with gorgeous cinematography from Marshall Adams, who helps to retain the gleam and auteur image from both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Furthermore, the dialogue from writer/director Gilligan is razor-sharp. The delivery and impact of every sentence make their mark, and fans waiting for that specific catchphrase are given the most splendid rendition even if they have to wait for it.
The world is opened up but still retains that sense of intimacy. There are small but wonderfully infectious and moving surprises that Gilligan implements, but instances such as these are never integral or overpowering — more influential to the arc of Pinkman than anything. Every small moment, whether they be character developments or flashbacks, strives to the focus of Jessie Pinkman with nothing wasted in the process. It would have been easy just to retread and give the audience another rendition of the past, but Gilligan sticks to his promise and never backstabs himself over this narrative — with El Camino always remaining and delivering the finale to the story of Jessie Pinkman.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is released exclusively on NETFLIX October 11, 2019.
