Written by Michael Vacchiano
Legions of viewers, myself among them, regard Breaking Bad as one of the greatest television dramas of the modern era, perhaps of all time. Enraptured doesn’t even come close to how we felt watching the journey of terminally ill chemistry teacher and family man Walter White (Bryan Cranston) transforming into meth cooker and drug kingpin. The show’s series finale gave us an all-around satisfying conclusion for its main protagonist. Yet, it left us asking one question: What ever happened to Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul)? The open-ended fate of Walt’s partner and protégé is at the forefront of the sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, and the result is a spectacular, and fitting conclusion for the series and its fans.
**WARNING!!! DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE TV SERIES BREAKING BAD or HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MOVIE YET.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!**
Picking up immediately after where the show’s finale left off, Jesse has escaped from the Neo-Nazi gang’s compound where he had been held prisoner. Speeding away to freedom in the vehicle of the film’s title, his trip to sanctuary is far from complete. Jesse is now the target of a statewide manhunt after the authorities have found the dead bodies of both Walt and the Neo-Nazi gang members. The former apprentice of the infamous drug lord “Heisenberg” must now do whatever he can to avoid police capture, reach safety, and attempt to forget the sins of his past life.
That last task proves harder than anything because he is still rife with fresh physical and emotional scars from his imprisonment. PTSD notwithstanding, Jesse has always wrestled with feelings of guilt throughout the series due to his profession. Combining that with being New Mexico’s most-sought new fugitive, Jesse’s duress now knows no bounds. All of this would mean nothing without the performance of Aaron Paul. The three-time Emmy winner is excellent in reprising his star-making role as re-inhabits the character seamlessly.
Just like the show presented viewers with the end result of Walt’s evolution (or devolution, depending on your opinion), this film is the culmination of Pinkman’s own odyssey. Paul employs his trademark facial expressions of anguish and panic, yet still imbues Jesse with a sense of confidence and slight swagger. With his current situation even more dire and imperative, Jesse is no longer the cocky and immature drug dealer of the show’s pilot. El Camino gives us a resilient man, hardened by his experiences, and credit goes to Paul for giving us a fully-formed Jesse like we’ve never seen before.
Series creator Vince Gilligan makes his full-length feature debut as a writer and director with El Camino. He treats his brainchild with the love and care that fans have come to expect. The script is just as well-written as any episode in the show’s catalog, with scenes of stress-inducing tension undercut with moments of surprising hilarity. Gilligan’s skills on the page are matched just as equally behind the lens. Breaking Bad, in its heyday, was always praised for its amazing camerawork and cinematography — and this film is no exception. Opting to shoot in wide-angle 70mm, Gilligan takes complete advantage of the Southwest desert surroundings to enhance the neo-Western feel of the movie. Sergio Leone would be proud, indeed.
Despite standing on its own merits as a great piece of filmmaking, El Camino is undoubtedly still a loving piece of fan service. Followers of the Breaking Bad canon are still currently enjoying the awesome prequel series, Better Call Saul. And like that show, the cinematic portion of the saga does have more than a few characters in this universe, both major and minor, inevitably showing up. Fans will also recognize some of the familiar Albuquerque locales once again, and obsessives like me even spotted a few tiny Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. Fortunately, the characters being reintroduced aren’t just here to cater to the show’s worshipping fanbase. All do ultimately serve a purpose to the film’s plotline and to Jesse’s story as a whole, but elaborating even further would give too much away.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is a fantastic and fitting conclusion to the series in general. Wonderful in its own right as a crime thriller/western drama, writer/director Vince Gilligan and star Aaron Paul have rewarded the show’s fanbase by giving them an amazing ending to Jesse Pinkman’s story. Great performances and camerawork, plus at least a few cameos from some beloved characters, make up a recipe that could rival that of Heisenberg’s blue sky meth. Are we fans happy with the final product? “YEAH, BITCH!”
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
