FilmSnobReviews

Title: The Good Nurse
MPAA Rating: TV-MA
Director: Tobias Lindholm
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne
Runtime: 2 hr 1 mins

What It Is: In 1996, Charles Cullen (Redmayne) is present for the death of a patient, who seizes from an overdose and dies. In 2004, Amy (Chastain), a nurse and single mother to two daughters, is diagnosed with a painful and potentially fatal heart condition, of which she’ll require a heart transplant. Amy makes friends with the new guy, Charles, who recognizes her health is in jeopardy. Supporting her through the stresses of the job and wait for the surgery, Charles often volunteers to babysit Amy’s children. The two grow close, their warm friendship interrupted by the mysterious deaths of a few of their patients. The hospital corporate, determined to prove their innocence in light of the passings, conducts an internal investigation. Amy and others begin to put some pieces together, realizing Charlie may not appear to be who he says he is.

What We Think: One of Netflix’s better ‘based on a true story’ true crime narratives, this medical thriller provides a straightforward and unfortunate case study with simplicity and style. Based on Charles Graeber’s novel The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder, Danish director Lindholm (A War, A Hijacking) brings an almost meditative approach to the story of the real-life nurse serial killer. The idea of “death and sickness, with dignity” is proven an important motif through the story as it treats those elements as such, with respect and a surprising, respectful restraint, as we’re saved from any shocking imagery concerning the passing and suffering of the victims. It’s nice to see a film build up and commit to a real sense of morality, making the focus on the stressful position protagonist Amy is put in all the more heart-wrenching. A lot of the film namely emphasizes the central friendship, and how Amy following the trail of death left behind by Charlie puts extreme pressure on her already comprimised health. It’s a short story that maybe didn’t need to eat up as much runttime as it did, or at least inject some more information and content into the story, but otherwise the slower pacing didn’t drag too terribly. Technically, it’s a pretty-looking film tinted in monochomatic grays and teals and slow-moving cameras, with cinematography by Jody Lee Lipes (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Bluebird, Manchester by the Sea) and a uniquely chilling score by Norweigian composer Biosphere. The dialogue is naturalistic, with a script by Krysty Wilson-Cairns (Penny Dreadful, Black List, 1917) and delivered in stunning performances by the gorgeous and ethereal duo Chastain and Redmayne. The leads bring nuance to their expressions and moving emotional power to the screen, making the viewing experience all the more involved.

 Our Grade: B, A rock-solid, hypnotic medical crime thriller that forces you to question your relationships with others and trust in the medical industry, The Good Nurse delivers this true story with polish and powerhouse players. I also made sure to delve into the Netflix documentary about Charles Cullen, and surprisingly the doc delves into the case with even less detail or background than this movie. It seems that there weren’t any major stones left unturned, though it would have been beneficial to have seen any more about the characters that hadn’t been included in the doc. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the real-life applications this film offers, its presentation, and the twistedness of the source material, and would recommend it to anyone looking to see some clean film making and strong performances. This just makes me all the more supportive of seeing the two leads knocking out more of a variety of characters, especially after having seen Chastain kill it in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, she’s far proven her talent as a fantastic actress with an ability to ground characters with the most empathy and distinction.