Sayak Basu
‘Breaking Bad‘ is one of the greatest television shows of all time. The series ran for five seasons, within which it was able to create a world and some characters who shall always remain an integral part of pop culture. Created by Vince Gilligan, the show achieved cult status because of its immaculate writing, tight-knit plot, amazing character arcs, and some of the finest performances in television history.
The series follows the exploits of a high school chemistry teacher called Walter White who teams up with his former student Jesse Pinkman to cook and sell the drug crystal meth. The film ‘El Camino‘ takes off from the time when the entire saga of ‘Breaking Bad’ is over with the death of Walter and only Jesse surviving the ordeal. How he manages to get away from the law enforcement chasing after him becomes the central narrative of the story.
The creator of ‘Breaking Bad’, Vince Gilligan, is himself the writer and director of the film. Unlike his method in the TV series where he collaborated with various other writers, here Gilligan does the entire thing alone. If you enjoyed watching ‘El Camino’. check out this list of similar films. You can watch several of these movies like ‘El Camino’ on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
7. The Gauntlet (1977)
One of the finest films directed by Clint Eastwood, ‘The Gauntlet’ finds the Hollywood legend playing the role of a police officer called Ben Shockley. A hard drinker, Shockley has been assigned with the task of escorting a witness from Las Vegas to Phoenix. However, his boss has directly refused to tell him anything about the case in which the witness, Augustina “Gus” Mally (Sondra Locke), is testifying in the first place. Gus tries to convince Shockley that they are being set up for a hit because she has mob connections and some information about a well-regarded and influential person. Despite his initial hesitation, Shockley soon understands Gus is telling the truth when a number of deadly attacks try to claim their lives. The film is brilliantly shot, has some rather cool action moments, and is clearly a perfect vehicle for a star like Clint Eastwood. The lead actor-director does more than enough justice to both of his roles.
6. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
One of the best Paul Newman films of all time, ‘Cool Hand Luke’ finds the superstar playing the role of a prisoner called Luke Jackson who has always escaped prison whenever he is captured. A member of a chain gang, Luke is someone who never agrees to conform to the rules and regulations of the prison. While he is looked at as a hero by his fellow inmates, the jail authorities detest him from the core of their hearts and look for various ways to punish him and to stop his successful escapes. The film is not only an intense prison drama, but also a social commentary on the condition of the prisoners in southern American states. The film uses a lot of Christian imagery and paints Luke as a Jesus-like figure who always takes the blame for his fellow prisoners. ‘Cool Hand Luke’ had a huge role to play in making Newman one of the biggest superstars of his era.
5. Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
Sam Peckinpah is a voice in the world of cinema who just simply resists being put in any particular bracket. He has made westerns, heist films, thrillers, and crime dramas, but his works are always distinct from his contemporaries. The 1974 film ‘Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia’ is also no exception to this regard. Just like ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘El Camino’, this film is also a neo-western which is about a character who suddenly gets involved in something far bigger than what his means can handle.
The story starts when a wealthy rancher comes to know of the fact that his daughter is pregnant with the child of a man called Alfredo Garcia. In his rage, he proclaims that he wants Garcia’s head by any means necessary. This leads his men to a local piano player who believes that he can really manage to bring the head to the rancher and earn some quick money for himself. The journey he goes on to collect the head sees him face-to-face with untold misery and violence. The film is a horrific look at the violence present in the 1970s rural Mexico. It is brutal, savage, and needs a strong stomach to digest the violence on offer.
4. The Day Of The Jackal (1973)
If you have read Frederick Forsyth’s book ‘The Day Of The Jackal’, you already have an idea about how thrilling this story really is. Director Fred Zinnemann perfectly reciprocates the tense atmosphere of the novel into this film. The story is set during the time when Charles de Gaulle is the president of France and the country has granted Algeria its independence. Angry with de Gaulle for this, the right-wing paramilitary organization OAS carries out several assassination attempts on him, but fail every time. Finally, they get hold of a British hired killer who simply goes by the name Jackal. It is the Jackal’s meticulous planning and execution to carry out the murder which becomes the central narrative of the film. Brilliantly shot and edited, this film will keep you on your toes right from the beginning to the very end.
3. The Fugitive (1993)
One of the best Harrison Ford movies of all time, ‘The Fugitive’ tells the story of Dr. Richard Kimble who has been falsely accused of the murder of his own wife. Kimble is soon arrested by the police and sentenced to jail without proper evidence. While on his way to prison, Kimble escapes from the police vehicle and goes on a run. While he himself is being chased across the country by the authorities, Kimble begins his own investigation into the murder of his wife. Intricately plotted and acted, ‘The Fugitive’ was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Director Andrew Davis has always been brilliant with his action-thriller films, and with ‘The Fugitive’, he managed to reach the absolute zenith of his talents.
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2. Locke (2013)
A brilliantly paced thriller by Steve Knight, ‘Locke’ finds Tom Hardy at his dramatic best. The story centers around Hardy’s character Ivan Locke. He is a construction manager who comes to know that a colleague he once had a one-night-stand with is pregnant. This sets him off on a journey from Birmingham to London, and during that journey, he keeps calling up his wife, his children, and his boss to try and come out clean to them. But the biggest challenge Locke faces is coming to terms with the incident himself. Set mainly within the car, the film never feels monotonous in any way. The dialog, the use of the camera, and Hardy’s sublime performance help us get lost within the tragedy of his life.
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1. Memento (2002)
Christopher Nolan burst onto the scene with this film, after which the world of cinema never really remained the same. With ‘Memento‘, Nolan did not only construct a brilliant thriller, but also forced us to constantly keep up with how the narrative progresses. Here he plays with time and space, and with the language of cinema itself.
‘Memento’ is a film that follows the story of Leonard Shelby. He is a former insurance agent who suffers from a special form of memory loss where he loses his recent memory very quickly. Thus ke keeps taking Polaroid pictures to remind himself of important incidents that have happened with him. Interestingly enough, we follow his life in a two-way manner. There is a black-and-white narrative that moves forward and there is a color narrative that moves backward. The exact middle point where they meet becomes the climax of the film.
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