El Camino

Breaking Bad was not a show that seemed to have a need to continue its story. Closure was provided for many of the characters, and yet there was enough to entice people into watching the spinoff series Better Call Saul to explore how Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman. And during that final episode of Breaking Bad, fans cheered as Jesse Pickman, played by Aaron Paul, finally escaped his confinement by neo-Nazis and sped off into the night. The more deserving of the drug-making duo had his redemption and his escape. But did he escape? What happened immediately after?

El Camino (or by its worse title, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie) begins immediately after Felina, the series finale that aired six years ago. Jesse flees, but of course his journey isn't finished: there are cop cars ahead. His redemption is not yet complete, and he can't just "put things right," as a friend tells him. Instead, he's a person of interest by the police, and there are some former accomplices of the neo-Nazis who are after the same money Jesse is. Jesse's only chance at getting away from the police and starting completely over is to get the money of his former captor, Todd, played here in Stockholm Syndrome flashbacks by Jesse Plemons, who was once dubbed "Meth Damon" by the internet when he appeared on the show. Having an actor like Plemons reappear is a bit of an odd choice. For one, it's noticeable that Plemons has aged since his appearances in Breaking Bad. No expensive Irishman de-aging for this Netflix special.

Paul, though, as Jesse, retains his boyish looks, but his face is scared, reciting monologues without even uttering any word. It's clear he's going through post-traumatic stress. He's not out for revenge, only survival. Thus, he's also not out for a good time anymore; this is radically different from the Jesse Pinkman we first met in 2008. Now, he's the one who knocks. (For the record, in my humble opinion, that line from the original series is probably the worst and most overrated.)

If there is a villain in this film, it is Neil, (Scott MacArthur), a welder who worked for the neo-Nazis, enjoyed the torture and humiliation of Jesse, and now is after the same money. Beyond that, there are few new characters. As expected, it's practically a family reunion, with several appearances from Breaking Bad alum. One of them is Robert Forster as the vacuum repair man who, for the right amount of money, can supply Jesse (as he did for Walter and Saul) all the items he needs to relocate and start over. Forster passed away the day the film premiered. His first scene here with Paul is fantastic. It allows us to see a spark of that humor of early, smart-ass Jesse against that calm, no-nonsense demeanor of Forster as Ed. Additionally, Marshall Adams' excellent cinematography sustains the look of this universe.

It was mentioned earlier that no one would ever claim that the Breaking Bad series would never need a follow-up. This is true. But it's also true that at times the plot and watching these characters, some new and some old, makes the whole thing feel unnecessary. I can't say that El Camino is a film not worth your time, but of the three on-screen depictions of this universe, this is the least memorable.