“Breaking Bad,” a Western crime drama series by Vince Gilligan, is considered to be one of the best television shows of all time. Telling the story of Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, a chemistry high school teacher who is diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer who then begins to produce and sell methamphetamine to leave his family an inheritance. Needing help, Walter blackmails his old high school student, Jesse Pinkman, played by Aaron Paul, into helping him make and distribute the product. After the show’s harrowing finale, where (spoiler alert!) Jesse is released from captivity after Walter kills his captors. We then see Jesse get away by car, but we only see Walter’s demise afterwards. Enter “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.”

     Although I’ve only seen “Breaking Bad” once, I do consider it to be my favorite television show. It does tie with “The Sopranos,” another acclaimed show by David Chase, which I also adore. Back to “Breaking Bad,”  this show is phenomenal. Full of slow-burning action, crazy twists, in-depth character development, memorable performances, and beautiful shots; this show deserves all of the acclaim it received. The complexity of its characters and its story really set the stage for a thoughtful and very personal experience as well as a film adaptation.

     Personally, my favorite character was Jesse due to his empathetic nature and humbleness throughout the show’s darkest moments, as well as his own hilarious moments. This film continues Jesse’s journey as he runs away from the law while also seeking revenge, closure, and a peaceful life. The film, like its predecessor, is fairly slow-paced and is full of smoldering action. Though there is a part of me that believes that this film wasn’t technically necessary.

     I really enjoyed the way that “Breaking Bad” ended, as Jesse’s ending is left ambiguous and Walter dies in a very symbolic way. This film does give the audience a chance to see Jesse’s ending and how he achieves that, but most of the film is pretty much full of flashbacks. This film premiered six years after the “Breaking Bad” finale in 2013, so these flashbacks were probably necessary to remind the audience of Jesse’s hardships, and to catch up on moments that were not acknowledged during the last season of the show. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the flashbacks, nevertheless, it became a bit repetitive and I only paid attention to a few of them. 

     While “El Camino” is no “Breaking Bad,” it doesn’t attempt to take over the show’s spotlight, but rather basks in it. This film is one of the television films that hasn’t fallen flat on its face, and gives its main character a chance at closure, giving him a life that he deserves, not a life that he needs. It’s a beautiful satisfying end to Jesse’s journey as well as shutting the doors on the show.