(They go somewhere else.) The subtle tone in which she says that one phrase makes the price of admission to endure that movie worth it. Take for example, Johnson’s line delivery of “those aren’t going in my butt” in Fifty Shades Darker, referring to two metal spheres of pleasure that, as it turns out, don’t end up going in her butt. From this very first scene, she infuses these films with a much-needed level of self-awareness and humor. From the film’s first scene, when she replaces her roommate to interview Christian, the awkward demeanor and shades of self-deprecation she brings to the table are note-perfect.

Meanwhile, what Dakota Johnson manages to do as Anastasia Steele opposite a scene partner giving her approximately zero is nothing short of remarkable, and it’s a performance that is wholly underrated. Yes, Jamie Dornan’s Christian Grey talks like he has marbles in his mouth and has the charisma of a piece of cardboard, but damn is he sexy, and that’s all he needs to be. There are moments of direction from Sam Taylor-Johnson that really work, including the contract-signing scene and the first foray into the red room. It redeemed the entire third entry and reminded us the dumb joy this trilogy elicits.įor me, the first installment, Fifty Shades of Grey, is the one film in the series that begins to approach the level of good.

Throwing it back in such a blatant fashion and recycling the song, I couldn’t slap the stupid smile off my face. We’re given an arguably unearned montage of Ana and Christian’s relationship, all the moments which led us to this finale.

There’s an acute awareness of this, however, when the final minutes of the film crescendos with the return of Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do,” the song which has become the trilogy’s calling card. However it happened, we became invested in Ana and Christian as a couple and the power dynamic between them - anything beyond that is unnecessary. Having said that, it’s a testament to what the first two films achieved that this plot turn becomes the least interesting part of everything we’ve watched up to this point. There’s a strain of ominous tension throughout that had to come to a head. It’s an insane tonal shift that, honestly, when you’re watching it, you might think to yourself, “Well, why not I guess?” Thinking back, it really is what the threads of story have been leading up to all along.

Trilogy fifty shades of grey