By Ally Fontana
A little about me—I’m really into shows and movies that have either a strong psychological or historical aspect. Some of my favorites include Peaky Blinders, Goodfellas, The Boys, Inception, the Matrix, etc.
I guess you could consider me a realist as that’s exactly what you get with a lot of shows like this that portray all aspects of a society. Whether that be in the Peaky Blinder’s 1910 Birmingham or in modern times which is the setting of The Boys.
The best way I can describe this mix of shows is: “Things as they are.” You’re not going to see anything sugar coated. It’s raw emotion and situations that you often find yourself in as well—of course on a much crazier level. As a member of the audience, you really dive deep into the attitudes and values of a character and the society they’re placed in. Often, they’re in seemingly hopeless situation to begin with, but it’s almost like a personal journey to see them develop, grow, and come out triumphant.
You can really learn a lot about the person you are or want to be by watching a character’s arc. You also start to find yourself going down a gigantic rabbit hole of questions, especially when you watch something like Inception or The Matrix, which examines the concept of reality in insane depth. If you’re someone like me that loves deeply analyzing emotions and situations and coming up with theory after theory, you’re going to want to get into Breaking Bad too.
Before I start, I just want to say I’m not always in this super critical mindset when it comes to shows. One of my favorite shows of all time is Seinfeld—Larry David is gifted. And The Office of course. I guess that’s realism too lol.
I’m going to also suggest Attack on Titan, Howls Moving Castle, & Erased if you’re an Anime lover. I honestly never was, but my sisters and boyfriend got me into it, and I’ve got to say it’s the most beautiful art style and I have an immense appreciation for it. I’m new with this genre, but those are three of my favorites so far.
It’s hard for me to get past the animation which makes sense because I just went on this huge rant up there about being a realist, but the narrative and concepts were just so brilliantly put together I quickly fell in love. Anime is for the dreamer and those with big imaginations.
Okay anyway let’s get into Breaking Bad!!
1. The Cinematography is Stunning!
Every scene is captured up-close and personal, I literally feel like I’m in the show every time I watch. The way it uses contrasts of light and color makes you see reality differently. For further context, the setting is in fairly modern times. This show will just make you feel like you’re in an alternate reality the entire time. The first episode shocked me, and I’ve been shocked since. It’s not like its WW3 or aliens are invading, it’s literally about the journey of one man to “break bad”. Stepping outside the realm of comfort and stability is one of the hardest psychological concepts to grasp.
2. The Character Development
I can’t tell you how many times I straight up cried over scenes or cringed with my entire being over a scene that was uncomfortable because I felt like I was inside the TV. There’s no wasted space or filler dialogue here everything is orchestrated to explore real human feeling and emotion to perfection.
3. The Acting
Just watch it. Bryan Cranston is a legend and so is Aaron Paul. You’re going to love them.
4. The Science!
Are you a Chemistry fan? This is it for you. I’m a business major and I’m telling you the chemistry aspect is one of the most interesting parts. Makes me wish I got into science lol.
5. The Soundtrack is so good
The only soundtrack I can say tops this is the one in Peaky Blinders. It blends perfectly with the context of the show.
6. The Cliff Hangers
You truly never know what to expect with this show and I’m constantly binge-watching the episodes.
All of the elements mentioned above blend together so well to build a beautifully orchestrated story that examines the concept of the war on drugs and criminal justice in a fresh and real way. This is precisely what makes it so addicting—how real it is and how quickly you become attached to the characters.
Thanks for reading my midterm studying procrastination—I really hope you give it a try!
-Ally