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.
### 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 are several important (mostly melancholic) moments of their lives, which Sarah and David are now forced to re-live.
### 1. Director Kogonada invites you into a beautiful, surreal world
From the very first frame, a beautiful sense of mystery dominates the film, and this feeling of surreality never abandons it. The movie is loaded with philosophy and metaphors, offering plenty to unpack in each conversation. The project is essentially a series of stunning images, one after the other, with several scenes resembling paintings you’d want to admire for minutes on end.
### 2. Can you hit rewind on life?
Kogonada directs the film with a strong aesthetic sense—each frame tells a story. Extremely visually pleasing and shot with sharp precision, the film plays out like an intriguing fantasy novel (similar to *Before the Coffee Gets Cold*). While there are no do-overs in life, Kogonada asks: What if there were? The film builds upon this theme, asking if you would go back and fill some cracks with love.
### 3. But these aspects aren’t enough to save the film
Unfortunately, the film begins to lose the audience quickly. While it aims to be a philosophical meditation on life, it fails to translate its stellar ideas into an exciting execution. The lethargic screenplay keeps the movie 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.
### 4. There’s little chemistry between the lead actors
One major problem is the lack of chemistry between Robbie and Farrell. At times, it feels like they’re in different movies—she in a rom-com, he in a somber drama. Sarah and David remain emotionally distant, and we don’t care enough about them to stay invested in their story. Due to a lack of surprises, this journey faces several bumps along the way.
### Verdict
A stirring premise, but uninspired execution; 2.5/5 stars
*A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* sounds stunning on paper, but the execution tells a different story altogether. Its breathtaking production design and warmth are significant draws, but with a lackadaisical script, the movie fails to reach its full potential. The scattered and fragmented plot harms the overall experience, making it tough to stay engaged.
**Rating: 2.5/5 stars**
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/margot-robbie-colin-farrell-s-big-bold-beautiful-journey-review/story