'Fifty Shades Freed' Movie Review

In the Fifty Shades franchise’s final installment, Anastasia and Christian (with Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan reprising their roles) are married and enjoying their honeymoon when Jack Hyde, Ana’s former boss, comes back into the picture to destroy their relationship. The film is just as absurd, and that premise would imply, and that’s the best compliment I could give a film like this. It’s Cinemax After Dark with higher production value.​

Fifty Shades Freed jumps the shark, and in the best way. The action-thriller elements are just as over-the-top and ridiculous as one would hope, from Ana leading a high-speed car chase to a bomb being planted in the Grey Corporate Headquarters. It’s dumb, and it knows it’s dumb. They also play up the humor way more in this film than the others. Much like the title, it seems as though the cast/crew are “freed” of the stigmas and discomfort with the material. This is full-on lifestyle porn, as it relishes in haute couture, luxurious houses and just let's go. It’s hard not to have fun with a film as harmless and charming as this one.

As for the legitimately good aspects, once again, Dakota Johnson lights up the screen (this might be one of her strongest performances, breathing life and personality into a bland would-be character), Danny Elfman’s score is noteworthy as is the beautiful cinematography from John Schwartzman.

It’s 2018, and these books were released nearly half a decade ago. At this point, you should know whether or not these films are your thing. You won’t find much substance here, but for what it’s worth, it’s a carefree and big-budget lifetime movie blown up on the big screen. These are the type(s) of films meant to be seen with a huge audience, and they deliver exactly what you’d expect. ​

Jordan Figueredo

Cigar City Magazine Staff Writer and Movie Critic
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