With sharp tonal shifts from dramatic to comedic and from introspective to genuinely creepy, _Wakefield_ manages to be an entertaining watch for all of its runtime. Cranston really gives a powerhouse performance here. He was nominated for _Trumbo_, but I think he's even better in this, carrying the whole movie on his shoulders with a solitary and varied performance, making his unlikable Howard Wakefield a sympathetic character. An interesting take on middle-age crisis, and how it affects the protagonist and the people around him.

1 / 2 directing & technical aspect 0 / 1 story 1 / 1 act I 1 / 1 act II 0 / 1 act III 1 / 1 acting 1 / 1 dialogue 1 / 1 originality 1 / 1 lasting ability to make you think 7 out of 10

Cranston is the life and soul of this film, and he is perfect in the role of a man who has 'lost' everything. The ending frustrated a little - I wanted to know what happened next - but the plot really takes a back seat to Howard, and the introspection he goes through while watching events from afar.

This is a prime example how to really fuck up a movie with the ending.

Film 42 (Goal: 300) of 2024 I honestly don't know what to make of this film. I don't know if I like it but I know I didn't dislike it - so I'm on the fence here. A problem is that the protagonist played by Bryan Cranston is so unlikeable and the initiation of the premise not executed well enough, that I struggled to buy into the notion that a mental breakdown had occurred. It's an interesting idea - giving up everything that holds you including the notion of a marriage, and being free, even if that leads to no possessions, poor hygiene, eating scraps from garbage, etc. But I think the execution could be better. This applies to the ending as well. Some may appreciate the choice, I can't say I did.