The first two Star Wars films released by Disney enlisted filmmakers who were no strangers to delivering audiences blockbuster spectacles, with their selection of Rian Johnson as the writer and director of Star Wars: Episode VIII coming as a surprise to many. Despite being an accomplished filmmaker, his most sprawling film at that point had been the time-traveling adventure Looper, which embraced a realism of the not-too-distant future for a character-driven story, with the narrative merely being heightened by its select usage of special effects. Luckily, Johnson brought his independent sensibilities to the galaxy far, far away to deliver a wholly unconventional experience in every sense of the word.
As evidenced by the first teasers and trailers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Johnson's vision of the Skywalker Saga was striking, as he entirely reimagined the filmmaking approach of bringing iconic characters and settings to life, which kept audiences guessing throughout the entire experience. While much of the praise Johnson has received for the film is rooted in its story, his direction resulted in some of the most compelling cinematic tableaus in the entire franchise.
While not all audiences were prepared for his ambitious narrative, their frustrations also add credence to the effectiveness of Johnson's cinematic eye, as it indicates how much excitement they had for the film based solely on its trailers and the riveting glimpses it offered of the sequel.
From emotional conflicts to stoic farewells, scroll down to see our picks for the 15 best shots from Star Wars: The Last Jedi!
What are your favorite shots in the film? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror.
