Fifty Shades Freed, an erotic romantic drama, released in 2018 and directed by James Foley, is the last installment of the Fifty Shades trilogy. Based on the novel published in 2012, it picks off where Fifty Shades of Grey left off in 2015 and Fifty Shades Darker in 2017. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan reprised their roles as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, portraying the couple’s emotional love saga posed with glamour and peril, loaded with tragicomic undertones, which evolves into an uncanny battlefield. The film was released commercially on February 9, 2018, being critically not so successful.
Fifty Shades Darker ended with Steele and Grey getting married. Their life looks glamorous, consisting of luxurious honeymoons, lavish weddings, and endless opportunities. Sadly, the couple faces issues tha were the last thing they imagined after getting married.
Christian’s possessiveness is magnified by his controlling nature, compelling Ana to assert her independence time and again. The newlyweds balance the dynamics of the relationship as Christian expresses the need to have control, while Ana desires freedom and equality. This battle is fought internally alongside external threats such as the return of Jack Hyde, Ana’s ex-boss, who seeks vengeance after being dismissed for sexual harassment and assault. He becomes more and more abusive, remolding their lavish lifestyle into one under siege.
While transitioning into married life, Ana and Christian also deal with issues like an unplanned pregnancy, jealousy, and trust. Jealousy of their social cirlc also posits problems with trust. Ana makes in unilateral decisions such as changing her financial plans, stemming from a lack of approval from Christian, and retaining her job at a publishing house which he wanted her to resign from. This stems into further issues when Christian, already irked by the pregnancy, lashes out showcasing deeper issues stemming from his childhood.
At the same time, Hyde ramps up his efforts at sabotaging the Greys, from an attempted kidnapping of Christian’s sister Mia. For the sake of her family, Ana rashly makes the decision putting them in a more dangerous spot. The climax contains action and resolution as the Greys confront Hyde, assuring their safety and beginning to vaguely imagine their life as a family.
Nearing the end, we see the couple embark on a love-filled journey together as they nurture their child, giving us a glimpse of their future. This fills in a missing void of balance and respect, which previously existed in their relationship.
Cast and Characters
Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Ana Grey (née Steele) – Ana has now transformed from a demure character to a confident woman who freely attempts to usurp control from Christian while sustaining their closeness.
Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey – Trapped in the walls of a company, a controlling and overbearing billionaire devoid of warmth who loves while struggling with vulnerability, abandonment issues, and the daunting reality of fatherhood.
Eric Johnson as Jack Hyde – The vengeful ex-boss of Ana, driven solely by grudge and revenge for personal affairs.
Rita Ora as Mia Grey – A sister to Christian who falls victim to the vengeful schemes of Hyde.
Luke Grimes as Elliot Grey – A plagued brother of Christian. He romantically engages mid subplot with one of Ana’s friends.
Arielle Kebbel as Gia Matteo – An architect employed by the Greys. She intensifies the conflict when she flirts with Christian.
Other starring roles are played by Brant Daugherty, Eloise Mumford, Victor Rasuk and many more.
Direction and Style
Fifty Shades Freed, directed by James Foley, is visually extravagant with high-end locations, designer outfits, and lavish places. Foley, who also directed Fifty Shades Darker, keeps the glossy, polished look that has been a trademark of the trilogy. The pacing alternates between more personal interactions to faster pacing suspense moments, merging romantic drama with thriller elements during the last act.
Cinematographer John Schwartzman captures the lighter-than-life fantasy juxtaposed against the emotional and outward struggles of the characters. Danny Elfman’s film score mingles draws with sultry beats alongside bolstering tempos, while modern pop songs that appropriately fit the romance and eroticism dominate the film’s soundtrack.
Themes and Analysis
The main focal point of Fifty Shades Freed is the evolving relationships and the balance of power, trust, and individual development in a romantic sexual relationship. While the previous movies fixated on seduction and dominance, this last installment moves to the challenges of married life: communication and compromise.
One of the main aspects of conflict is Personal freedom versus control. A shift in Ana’s attitude, where she chooses to confront dangers head on, manage her career, finances, and personal life, demonstrates her evolution from a passive partner to an equal. Simultaneously, Christian needs to learn to relinquish control, both in The Relationship and when confronting danger: losing those he cherishes.
The movie also delves into themes of redemption and healing. Ana’s pregnancy reigniting Christian’s trauma adds more depth to his character arc. His acceptance of fatherhood marks a significant transformation towards emotional maturity.
However, some critics note that the film fails to deeply examine these themes, favoring style and dramatization over psychological depth. Still, the emotional culmination and romantic resolution are aspects that fans of the franchise apreciate.
Reception and Box Office Performance
Fifty shades freed grossed $371 million worldwide against a reported $55 million budget, making it a box office success. Despite predominantly critical feedback, the film found a large audience. Review aggregators were highly critical, pointing out poor dialogue, weak structuring, and shallow character arcs.
Critics labeled it the weakest installment of the trilogy, but readers, in particular, appreciated the wrapping up of Ana and Christian’s narrative. The film’s focus on romance and closure instead of eroticism was deemed fitting for the franchise’s conclusion.
Legacy and Impact
Critically, neither Fifty Shades Freed nor its predecessors received much adoration, though all were considered pop culture phenomena. The trilogy, for better or worse, expanded the scope of erotic films by popularizing BDSM, sexual agency and female desire, and integrating them into mainstream cinema.
The franchise, which was originally branded as subpar, controversially enhanced the reputation of Dakota Johnson. While receiving significant backlash, the actress was renowned for her performance which bore the weight of a restraining script. Jamie Dornan also complicated the reception of the trilogy’s portrayal of an often vilified role.
This was best exemplified in the closing installment, in which the couple undergoes what is perhaps the most relatable and understated finale in cinematic history. Rather than a climactic set piece, viewers witness the softer sides of enduring love alongside family, growth, and compromise.
Conclusion
Fifty Shades Freed wraps the concluding details of the bestselling series with a blend of notable controversy and cinematic success. The film features the classic dynamics of romance, danger, luxury, and passion as expected by the fans, alongside emotional resolution and suspense. Although it may not please critics, the installment provides an unconventional yet optimistic conclusion to the love story of Ana and Christian, situated around the idea that love can prevail in the most unconventional relationships.
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