El Camino: a Breaking Bad Movie

This coda to the TV series Breaking Bad makes for a nicely self-contained thriller that shows what happened to supporting player Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) immediately after the explosive finale. Freed from theneo-Nazis who held him captive for his crystal meth-cooking skills, but still on the run from the law, Jesse revisits old haunts and familiar faces across Albuquerque, New Mexico, desperate to makea fresh start. Writer/director Vince Gilligan, who created the series and helmed its last episode, adds plenty of cameos and references that will please longstanding fans, but is careful to provide enough context for newcomers that ElCamino can confidently thrive in isolation. There are nods to 1970s petrolhead thrillers such asTwo-Lane BlacktopandVanishing Point, although this is less a traditional road movie than the tale of one man's frustrated attempt to hit the road, all helped enormously by the enigmatic intensity of Paul's performance.