Sure, you can watch it without having seen _Breaking Bad_, but that would be like watching _Avengers: Endgame_ without having seen any of the Marvel movies. You'll get the essence of it, but you don't have a deeper sense about the characters and their motivation, or an understanding of some of the references that are being made. Personally, I really like that it builds on where we left off; it doesn't pander to an audience that isn't willing to invest their time in the show. So I'd advise anyone to watch the show first, mainly because the core of it was undeniably strong. The story and characters were magnificent. _El Camino_ benefits from that. If these weren't the characters we'd know and love from _Breaking Bad_, this movie wouldn't be nearly as good. As a story, it is a nice epilogue to _Breaking Bad_, albeit fairly predictable and a bit needless (because Jesse's character doesn't really have an arc throughout this movie). The actors are, of course, great (Aaron Paul and Meth Damon in particular).

The weakest part of the show, to me, has always been the directing. I always found it to be fairly lifeless, particularly in the first two seasons. _El Camino_ is no different. Scenes are often quiet and really drawn out, with shots that are being held for way too long. Some directors, like Alfonso Cuarón or Steven Spielberg, get away with this, but that is only because they constantly keep the camera moving. Some shows, like _Mr. Robot_, use really interesting angles and colour in order to make the longer shots hold your attention. Don't get me wrong, the show and this movie are definitely far above sit-com level cinematography, but the shots aren't so special that they justify being held for 8-10 seconds. Some people will proclaim it to be a unique and interesting style, but to me it has always been a recipe for bad pacing. And that's very strange when you think about it, because the show and this movie definitely aren't uneventful. Finally, I'll also say that some of the fan service in this movie doesn't work, because it doesn't add anything to the story. [spoiler] For as nice as it was to see Walter White and Jessica Jones again, they really should've been deleted them from the final cut of this movie. [/spoiler]

6/10