Every single frame of this movie could be a painting. Robby Müller’s cinematography is just… unreal. It captures that vast, lonely beauty of the American Southwest in a way that somehow feels both epic and deeply personal. The way the colors hit, the way the characters are placed in the frame, it’s all so intentional without ever feeling showy. Just beautiful, quiet, visual storytelling.
Also, as someone from Houston, it was wild seeing landmarks I still drive by regularly, 41 years later! It made the movie feel strangely personal, like this poetic little ghost story that’s still echoing through real places I know.
Story-wise, yeah, Travis is the focus, and Harry Dean Stanton is incredible. But, I couldn’t stop thinking about Walt and Anne (Dean Stockwell and Aurore Clément). They did everything right. They stepped up, they raised Hunter with love and care, and they gave him a stable home when no one else could. And yet… they’re the ones who end up losing the most. That honestly broke my heart. It’s not fair. They deserved better, and the fact that the film doesn’t really “fix” that or give them closure hit harder than I expected.
There’s something really honest in that kind of heartbreak, though. Paris, Texas doesn’t give you easy answers, just a whole lot of space to feel. And I’m still feeling it.
