By Isha Sharma | Sep 19, 2025 | 06:12 PM
**What’s the story?**
Your car breaks down, you quickly rent one, you drive to a wedding, you meet a gorgeous woman, and sparks fly instantly. What can go wrong? *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* plays with this unique premise, and this imaginative, lush fantasy drama expands upon our dreams, desires, and vulnerabilities.
The execution, though, is helter-skelter, and the film demands utmost patience and commitment from you.
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### Plot: Two strangers go on a long journey
The film stars Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie as David and Sarah, two strangers whose lives are intertwined by an inexplicable connection. They embark on a journey in David’s rented car, where an enigmatic GPS takes them to mysterious doors. On the other side of each door lie several important (mostly melancholic) moments of their lives, which Sarah and David are now forced to re-live.
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### #1 Director Kogonada invites you into a beautiful, surreal world
A beautiful sense of mystery dominates the film from the very first frame, and this sense of surreality never abandons it. Loaded with philosophy and metaphors, there’s a lot to unpack in each conversation. The movie unfolds as a series of stunning images, one after the other, with several scenes resembling paintings you would want to admire for several minutes.
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### #2 Can you hit rewind on life?
Kogonada directs the film aesthetically, and each frame tells a story. Extremely artful, visually pleasing, and sharply shot, the film plays out like an intriguing fantasy novel—much like *Before the Coffee Gets Cold*. There are no do-overs in life, but Kogonada explores the question: What if there were? The film builds upon this theme, asking if you would go back and fill some cracks with love.
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### #3 But these aspects aren’t enough to save the film
However, the film begins to lose its grip quickly. Although it aims to be a philosophical meditation on life, it fails to convert its stellar ideas into exciting execution. The lethargic screenplay stifles the movie, preventing it from blossoming into an engaging, gripping affair.
If slow-paced dramas work for you, then you might let the film simmer slowly. Otherwise, it can really wear you down.
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### #4 There’s little chemistry between the lead actors
A major drawback is the lack of chemistry between Robbie and Farrell. At times, it feels like they’re acting in different movies—she in a rom-com, he in a somber drama. Sarah and David remain distant characters, making it hard to care enough about them to stay invested in their story.
Due to a lack of surprises, this journey faces several bumps along the way.
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### Verdict
*A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* offers a stirring premise but suffers from uninspired execution. The breathtaking production design and warmth are significant draws, yet the lackadaisical script holds the movie back from reaching its full potential.
The scattered and fragmented plot harms the overall experience, making it tough to keep up with at times.
**Rating: 2.5/5 stars**
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/margot-robbie-colin-farrell-s-big-bold-beautiful-journey-review/story