The chain fence snaps in half, ripped apart by the bolting black El Camino.
Jesse Pinkman drowns his sobs in manic laughter as he accelerates the car faster down the dirt road.
The laugh becomes a yell, filled with pain, remorse and at the same time: relief.
This was the cliffhanger ending for Jesse Pinkman that “Breaking Bad” fans were left with, six years ago.
“El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” bears the same director as its TV source material, Vince Gilligan, and follows the events of Pinkman’s life following the conclusion of the series.
The movie feels more like a sequel or a long miniseries to the original show rather than a stand-alone movie that non-“Breaking Bad” fans would enjoy.
The show and the film go hand-in-hand, making it impossible to understand if you have not seen the series.
However, this works well for the movie more than it takes away from it.
A lot of remakes or films that are based on previously popular titles will use nostalgia as a crutch to make fans watching the new piece go down memory lane rather than seeing what the new title brings.
“El Camino” does not cater to that style of fan service though.
Nostalgia is used only when necessary and comes in the form of horrific flashbacks that haunt Pinkman and gives the viewer a feeling that you are in the mind of this frantic man.
Cinematography sells the flashbacks even more with seamless cuts throughout the film that link past and present without any jarring effects on the eyes.
The movie is beautifully shot, especially for a film that is made to be viewed on Netflix and not the big screen.
Dark shadowing on night and close quarters scenes give the audience a feeling of claustrophobia and anxiety that carry the underlying fearful tone of the production.
The anxious feeling is portrayed by not only the cinematography, but also the fantastic character development as well.
Actor Aaron Paul plays Pinkman just as well as he did in the original series and does a great job showing how much Pinkman changes in just two hours of runtime.
At the beginning of the film, Pinkman is weak and hopeless. As the film continues, you see the character find himself and grow naturally without the film forcing any emotions or actions on him.
Despite the fantastic performance by Paul the movie does have occasional pacing issues.
The film has a short runtime of two hours and two minutes, yet some scenes feel stretched with an important scene towards the end of the film even coming off as gimmicky.
However, it is a minor problem that does not shadow the rest of the film.
“El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” gives fans a well deserved ending to the tale of Pinkman.
If you are a fan of the TV series, it is an absolute must watch.
If you have not seen the original show yet, it’s time to set two days and 14 hours aside for a long weekend of binge watching.
