Day 250 of the challenge! Wakefield is an interesting character study about a true bastard of a man.
As expected, Bryan Cranston knocks it out of the park, carrying the entire movie and making it more watchable that it would have been with a lesser actor. Still, most people will probably be turned off by how terrible Cranston's character is. Wakefield is basically an entitled narcissist going through a midlife crisis, but cranks it all up to 11. Lacking the empathy to NOT act on those dark thoughts we all get from time to time, Wakefield abandons his life and family and becomes a voyeuristic hermit, monologuing his depraved and borderline sociopathic thoughts as he watches his family continue their lives without him. Getting a new car or motorcycle isn't quirky enough apparetnly. Interesting to observe, but frustrating to watch nonetheless. There are other interesting ideas at play that give the film some extra weight, like Wakefield's realization that he's seen more of his daughters since abandoning them than when he was still living at home for example.
On a final note, I can't help but wonder how different this film would have felt if Wakefield featured a person of color. The white privilege here is palpable.