The Good Nurse
Suspicious that her colleague is responsible for a series of mysterious patient deaths, a nurse risks her own life to uncover the truth in this gripping thriller based on true events.
- Released: 2022-10-19
- Runtime: 121 minutes
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
- Stars: Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne, Noah Emmerich, Nnamdi Asomugha, Kim Dickens, Devyn McDowell, Ajay Naidu, Maria Dizzia, Malik Yoba, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Gina Jun, Brooke Stacy Mills, Anjelica Bosboom, Rebecca Watson, Maurice J. Irvin, Victor Cruz, Jennifer Regan, Andrew James Bleidner, Shaun O'Hagan
- Director: Tobias Lindholm
Comments
- Wpdoyle - 13 February 2024
Dark Underbelly of Institutional Silence
"An employee is suspected of heinous crimes, yet his employers repeatedly look the other way, as they fear negative publicity. Thus, the employee is dismissed and simply relocates, while getting the same kind of job at a new place, with new people to victimize. This pattern repeats for many years. "
No, the above is not a summary of "Spotlight", but that's an excellent guess! In this well-made film, we learn that hospitals can be as bad as the Catholic Church when it comes to saving face at all costs. Great performances around the board make this a far better thriller than 99% of the schlock-fests on Netflix. - marcomaletti-82987 - 6 August 2023
Would have given it an 8 but...
It got a 10 just because there are so many people who just hate on Netflix movies.
I found this movie well-paced, very well acted, and it never felt like a typical Hollywood over-the-top retelling of a true story. It actually felt pretty real.
The old saying "truth is stranger than fiction" comes to mind, and the main character's own medical issues added another level of suspense to an already unbelievably true story.
I haven't read the book but it's on my next-to-buy list as I've read that it's even more detailed and has a whole lot more depth than the movie - as most books do.
Sure, it's not a life-changing movie, but it is a realistic retelling of an incredible, chilling, real life story. Well worth a watch. - Vanessydelg - 10 January 2023
The good actor.
I have not much to say about the movie. It's a proper movie based on a true story of yet another serial killer who took advantage of his work as a nurse to perform his nefarious deeds. Jessica Chastain never disappoints, and she manages to sound and look absolutely credible moving only one muscle of her face.
But the real reason why I'm writing this review is because Eddie Redmayne has shocked me once again. I cannot believe this man. Even with a straight face and not saying a word, playing the serial killer in the story, he throws those looks that freezes one's soul without exception, at the same time melting you with love and tenderness. Imagine meeting a serial killer who is so sweet but also so odd and dangerous as Eddie in this movie. Eddie's characterization of Charlie Cullen makes the viewer question themselves for the unavoidable sympathy he produces. If serial killers are manipulative, Redmayne as an actor impersonating a serial killer manipulates his whole audience.
In all honesty, I've never seen an actor achieve so much but just staring and not saying a word or looking so real while screaming nonsense.
I think Mr Redmayne is one true gem in the acting world.
Certainly looking forward for his next movie. He is tantalizing to say the least. I'm so glad I don't know him personally. With just one look of those he would own my accounts and everything I have. - stevejones-9 - 30 December 2022
Superbly acted true story
There are no bells and whistles here in the cinematography department. It's subtle, but effective, focusing on the characters, letting the actors come through. The final scene between the two main characters was understated beauty. The story itself if thought-provoking, disturbing and indeed worthy of a movie. The pacing and editing are both superb. There's nothing really there that I would add or remove; everything moves the story along. I'd recently reached the conclusion that no decent films are being made anymore. While that may be generally true, The Good Nurse is definitely a most welcome exception. I highly recommend. - Tarpeena777 - 21 December 2022
Decent film but subject matter is bit mundane
I watched The Good Nurse last night on recommendation of a couple of people who had seen it and raved about it. Once I saw the subject matter, I was thinking this is going to have to be a great film to keep me interested as the US Health system is to my untrained eye (I live in Australia) third world in a first world country - the vast majority can't afford health insurance and obviously the staff like everywhere in the world are underpaid and under appreciated. It reminded me of a problem we had in Australia some years ago with Catholic priests where they were just moved off someone's parish to become someone else's problem. So it appeared with one of the nurses who turns out to be like Dr Harold Shipman some years ago in Britain and as the guilty party says at the end when asked why did you do it - Because no one stopped me.
I figured the US health system was that bad generally so the film held no surprises for me hence the moderate rating. - BijeshNagesh - 10 December 2022
A Relevant Story That Deserved More - "The Good Nurse" Review
First Impressions:
Movies based on true stories are one thing, but to know that such a discomforting script as "The Good Nurse" was inspired by actual events made me remind myself that we, as human beings, have plenty of darkness hiding within us.
This adapted screenplay gripped me from beginning to end. Though at times the plot felt like it skipped over key transition scenes, the outstanding performances helped balance things out.
The writing was simple and to-the-point. Great direction ensured a memorable outcome. I feel "The Good Nurse" is one of the more under-rated productions of 2022.
The Crew:
Tobias Lindholm did stellar work directing this project. He kept the story focused and linear.
The movie was adapted from Charles Graeber's book. Krysty Wilson-Cairns did great work tweaking it into a worthy screenplay with no fluff.
Musical scoring by Biosphere was a great addition to the crew.
Jody Lee Lipes's cinematography was elegant.
Shane Valentino's production design was amazing.
Set decoration, sound effects, editing, and art direction all did noteworthy work.
Hair-makeup and Amy Westcott's costume design was on point.
The Cast:
Eddie Redmayne as Charlie Cullen was excellent.
Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren was outstanding.
Kim Dickens as Linda Garran was noteworthy.
Nnamdi Asomugha as Danny Baldwin was memorable.
Noah Emmerich as Tim Braun was quite good.
David Lavine as Duncan Beattie was good.
Alix West Lefler as Alex Loughren was amazing.
Myra Lucretia Taylor as Vivian Neal was quite good.
Plot Summary & Analysis:
At the heart of this intriguing crime-drama was a caregiver who, in the early 2000s, gained notoriety for his unbelievably overlooked criminal deeds. It was discovered that he'd had a direct hand in the deaths of hundreds of patients under his care across nine hospitals, none of whom were willing to talk about him in any capacity.
I can only imagine how the latest establishment (Parkfield Memorial, New Jersey) where he worked would have responded to the shocking evidence of his crimes, and the consequent punch to their reputation it would have generated.
The despicable caregiver was Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne). Eddie's performance was something to behold. I've always been a fan of his work. His masterfully subtle acting ability sometimes goes unappreciated, which is what I believe happened in this project. If given more screen-focus, Eddie could have earned another Oscar nomination for his performance in and as "The Good Nurse".
Another nurse who worked at the same hospital as Charlie was Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain). Yet another powerhouse performer, Jessica's role in this movie enriched it. She brought plenty of poignant emotion to the production. Her character too was based on a real person, the selfsame nurse who helped put Charlie behind bars.
Final Notes:
Under-rated is the word I will use to describe this movie whose adapted screenplay, direction, and performances were superb, to say the least. Some convenient sequences aside, an overly strict focus on the core facts surrounding Charlie Cullen's most recent crimes made the story slightly less substantial than it could have been.
I personally felt that Redmayne and Chastain each checked off all the right boxes to qualify for top-class award nominations (not wins).
However, what I found most surprising was how little they focused on Charlie compared to Amy. This story felt way too important and could've done with a deeper dive into Charlie's crimes. Those last on-screen text reminders before the film ended shared more about the man than the script showed.
To think that this was a semi-biopic based on an actual person whose real-life crimes sent silent waves through the healthcare industry made me appreciate Netflix's bold take on this production. I am left wondering why none of the hospitals that hired Cullen are yet to receive any charges for gross negligence, or worse. - jennfinn - 25 November 2022
Boring
It's chilling how much Eddie Redmayne actually sounded like Charlie Cullen, he must've really did his homework after accepting the role. My problem with The Good Nurse is it's actually quite boring. There was too much of Amy (Jessica Chastain) a friend and co-worker of Charlie's who was also an ICU nurse. Amy was close to Charlie, she valued him as a friend and colleague and she was shocked by the allegations. After looking into it she realized it was possible he was killing patients and she agreed to wear a wire which helped lead to his arrest.
Personally I think it was boring, maybe it would've worked better if the movie started earlier in his career. It seemed to be all about Amy and the part she played in bringing him down which was a good thing but still boring. - mildbillt-5-665998 - 20 November 2022
Mediocre But Watchable
Looked to be a great story, but there was just nothing there. The "Angel of Death" thing has been done many times before and much better than this. I've seen Law and Order episodes with more depth.
One of the biggest problems with the story is there is no motive or reason for this guy killing people. No glassy eyed explanation on why he chose the people he did or that he was easing their pain or anything.
All in all the movie is watchable, unlike most of the garbage on Netflix, but it is totally unremarkable. The most disturbing component of this story is how hospitals suspected he was murdering people and just let it go and passed the problem on to the next hospital. And that none of them were held accountable! Quite a distressing thought.
