“The Good Nurse” (2022)
“I think the universe hates me”.
“I think the universe hates me”.
Directed by Tobias Lindholm (R, A Hijacking and A War), produced by Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Black Swan) and based upon the 2013 book of the same name written by Charles Graeber, I expected to like this even before the first reel of the film and by the end, my expectations had been duly met, and often exceeded. Why was more an appreciation of producer Darren Aronofsky and his films over which I obsess, as well as my macabre interest in true crime and the mythos surrounding the ice cold blood of serial killers.
“Based on a true story” and adapted for the screen by Krysty Wilson-Cairns, we get a full directorial close up at two hospitals seven years apart and seven weeks later, and an investigation into a covered up death that would lead to the uncovering of the tracks of a serial killer who finally admitted to 29 confirmed killings amongst many hundreds more attributed to the monster now spending 18 consecutive life sentences rotting away inside New Jersey State Prison.
“Charlie Cullen” (Eddie Redmayne) Cuts a quiet almost wraith like figure. Thin, gaunt, a slight hunched over gait yet bodily skeletal and awkwardly contorted at times, Redmayne is seemingly always shot in a wide frame as exemplified in the image above or very often, in long lingering shots that scream for you to watch his performance.
“So for me, that’s the important part. Find some dignity”.
“Amy Loughren” (Jessica Chastain) Meticulous. Methodical. Playful. Helpful. A smiling rule breaker attempting to mask a degenerative heart condition and the angst at being constantly away from her two young daughters, Chastain is pitch perfect as always and forever shot in close up by director Lindholm as he frames her tired and exhausted decline with the only real adult friend she has in the entire world, Charlie Cullen.
“I know Charlie really well. We work every shift together and he’s a very good nurse”.
Stylishly directed by Tobias Lindholm and accompanied unobtrusively by a beautiful musical score from Biosphere, I can’t recommend The Good Nurse highly enough.
Charles Cullen - Wikipedia
Charles Edmund Cullen (born February 22, 1960) is an American serial killer. Cullen, a nurse, murdered dozens …en.wikipedia.org
Thanks for reading. Just for larks as always, and always a human reaction rather than spoilers galore. My three most recently published film articles are linked below or there’s well over 200 blog articles (with 400+ individual film reviews) within my archives from which to choose:
“Medicine for Melancholy” (2008)
Barry Jenkins brilliant and affecting cinematic debut.medium.com
“The Menu” (2022)
“We’re all going to die tonight”.medium.com
“Gravity” (2013)
Alfonso Cuaron’s multi Oscar winning space opera.medium.com