Spoiler warning for people who somehow haven’t watched “Breaking Bad.” Seriously. Watch “Breaking Bad.”

When it was first learned that “Breaking Bad” creator and showrunner, Vince Gilligan was making a movie set after the events of the series finale, fans of the show were initially anxious about Gilligan not giving Jesse Pinkman the ending they thought he deserved. People online could be seen saying “no one wanted this,” and “ I prefer my version of how things ended.” Even I was a little apprehensive about the idea of returning to the hallowed ground of “Breaking Bad” as it was, despite the fact that the team behind “Breaking Bad” had already made a great prequel show in “Better Call Saul” proving they could tell more than Walter White’s story. But to the relief of everyone, “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” serves as a great epilogue to the “Breaking Bad” story.

Written and directed by Gilligan, “El Camino” is about the effects past traumas can have on a person and how the lengths a person will go to be free. The main vehicle for these themes is Jesse Pinkman, played Aaron Paul in a starring turn. Paul’s career post “Breaking Bad” has had its share of ups and downs, however, his return to the role of Jesse just feels right. Paul not only does an excellent job of showing the mental scars Jesse has from his captivity but also the strength Jesse has always had to persevere through the hells that people like Walt and the neo-Nazis put him through.

Photo: IMDB

Returning as Jesse’s best friends are Skinny Pete and Badger, and it is in the few minutes we have with them that “El Camino” has its heartwarming scenes, as the friendship between the three of them provided “Breaking Bad” with much need levity throughout its run. The same is true in “El Camino.”

Though it was expected, flashbacks are used to great effect during the movie. However, certain characters and their actors have not aged as gracefully as Aaron Paul has, and it distracts from what otherwise is a flawless use of a story-telling technique that is feast or famine in other movies and shows. One character, in particular, was too distracting and it made it hard to focus on anything else when they were on screen. Gilligan, however, makes sure that these moments never feel like fan-service or too schlocky.

Visually, ’El Camino” is a step up from “Breaking Bad.” You can see how much the movie benefits from the extra money afforded by Netflix. Gilligan and Director of Photography, Marshall Adams, weave together a variety of shots to visually tell Jesse’s story. ”Breaking Bad” was known for it’s unique POV shots and those make an appearance in “El Camino,” but the use of aerial photography to really show of the vistas of New Mexico and using some CG to add some punch to other shots helps distinguish “El Camino” from its predecessor. A lot of time in “El Camino” is spent with Jesse in tight, enclosed spaces and the camera sticks with him. It is here that a lot of the tension in the film manifests itself.

Action-wise, the film references “Breaking Bad” episodes “To’hajiilee” and “Ozymandias” as the gunfight in “El Camino” is chaotic and loud, and the people involved in them aren’t very accurate as they shoot at each other from across a room. Different people will have different reactions to this scene. On my latest rewatch of “Breaking Bad,” the gunfights in those last episodes mentioned were my least favorite parts because it feels like the filmmakers went for too much realism instead of making a good, watchable gunfight. The same could be said for “El Camino.”

“El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” provides an excellent epilogue to “Breaking Bad.” Gilligan and company give Jesse the ending he deserves, while also delivering a tense and emotional story that never feels like fan-service. And they prove that “El Camino” was a needed addition to the “Breaking Bad” universe.