Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), directed and written by Rian Johnson, is the bold and divisive eighth installment in the Skywalker saga. Picking up immediately after the events of The Force Awakens, the film follows Rey as she trains under a reluctant and guilt-ridden Luke Skywalker, while the Resistance, led by General Leia Organa, attempts to evade the crushing pursuit of the First Order. Visually ambitious and thematically rich, the movie explores failure, legacy, and the balance between light and dark in surprising ways. Shot across diverse real-world locations like Skellig Michael in Ireland and Bolivia's salt flats, the film aimed for a grounded yet majestic look. John Williams returned to compose the score, enhancing the emotional and dramatic weight of the story. With a budget ranging between $262–300 million, The Last Jedi earned over $1.33 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2017. Critics overwhelmingly praised its daring storytelling and subversion of franchise expectations, awarding it a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It received four Academy Award nominations and multiple technical accolades. However, fan response was deeply divided—many applauded its fresh take on Star Wars mythology, while others criticized its tone, treatment of legacy characters like Luke, and underdeveloped subplots. Despite the backlash, the film remains one of the most artistically ambitious entries in the saga and continues to provoke passionate debate within the Star Wars community.