Review of El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019) by Berik — 13 Oct 2019

7 years after the ending of Breaking Bad, Vince Gilligan decided to make a movie to show what happened to Jessie Pinkman after he escaped his prison. When I say after though, it really only applies to 60% of the movie, as there are quite a bit of flashbacks.

Jessie Pinkman, scarred and traumatized by his imprisonment, has to find a way to hide and run away. As a known partner to the greatest meth empire kingpin called Heisenberg, he has to find a way to start anew, and that requires money. Thus the thrilling escape begins.

While the scenes regarding present day events are immersive and get you on the edge of your seat, the flashbacks take away a lot of the tension. Characters are brought back in a rather contrived way, as their scenes don't change anything about the present day story. It also doesn't help that the original actors have aged or changed a lot, breaking immersion with the show a lot. Todd has suddenly gained a 100 pounds, and went from looking like a guy in his twenties to a fat middle aged guy. Bryan Cranston also makes an appearance, though his aging is too noticeable and his presence too forced and unnecessary. Why can't the movie stand on its own without having to use the characters from the show other than those who are truly integral to the story?

In the end, Jessie Pinkman finds his chance to start fresh and walk away from his tormented past. For years I wondered what would happen to him, and i'm glad El Camino wrapped up his story. Unfortunately, I feel like much of this movie is fan fiction considering all the unnecessary flashbacks. Hadn't these been forced in, it could have been a worthy sequel to Breaking Bad. Nonetheless, It is a good movie, I give it a 7/10.