The Netflix Event EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE reunites fans with Jesse Pinkman (Emmy-winner Aaron Paul). In the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity, Jesse must come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future.
Breaking Bad is one of those television series that managed to do the unthinkable and end on a high. It's one of the few television series that didn't dip in quality in the later seasons and is still very popular despite ending 6 years ago. This made the announcement of El Camino very unexpected, but after the trailer was released, expectations were high.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie takes place directly after the ending of the television series, and serves as a character study and swansong to Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman. El Camino is not a standalone story or an unnecessary addition, it is the conclusion to Jesse Pinkman's arc; an arc that Breaking Bad was unable to focus on with Walter White's arc being the centre of attention. As an epilogue of sorts, El Camino puts all attention on Jesse Pinkman as he comes to terms with his transformation of self over the series. The most important thing to take away from this is that El Camino is not a high-paced action film. It is a slow, claustrophobic, tense drama.
The actual plot itself is quite limited and revolves around Pinkman trying to get out of dodge through the use of knowledge and people he has come across previously. This creates a non-linear narrative that involves a fair amount of flashbacks (and with that, some cameo performances). The flashback sequences help to bridge that six-year gap since the conclusion of the series to remind the audience of the details that may have slipped the mind and helps keep a coherent storyline.
The six years prior to the release of this film do have one downfall, in that it is set immediately after the series ended; the actors have aged. While some characters do manage to pull off the same look from the series, others have had very apparent changes in weight, hairstyle, or simply look much older in the face. Unavoidable, unfortunately, but it does stand out from time to time.
The cinematography is spectacular, making even the most mundane actions visually appealing. Gorgeous wide shots in natural landscapes, to birdseye views and perspective shifts from cinematographer Marshall Adams helps to recapture that distinctive look and feel that the series had.
The big question is whether El Camino is a necessary film. That will all come down to how you felt about the ending of the series. If you were content with the ending, then this will add little to your Breaking Bad experience. If you needed a better resolution to Jesse Pinkman's character arc, then this is exactly what you need to see. If you haven't watched the original series, then why are you even here?
El Camino is the equivalent of the funeral scene in Avengers: Endgame; the action has already occurred, and we are here to watch the remaining strings of the plot get wrapped up.