User reviews

After reading through some of the reviews here on IMDB, I could quickly surmise the people who didn't enjoy The Good Nurse had the movie being "plain" and "boring" as their main gripes. Granted, the film is slow with very little flash, but since when has this become a bad thing? The ADHD generation needs quick cutting and seizure inducing visuals to keep their attention, and this is the complete opposite.

The Good Nurse works because of a number of factors. A tight script with a consistent beat, never wavering or faltering, which keeps us going at a slow but deliberate pace through the story. The acting is excellent, with Eddie Raymayne and Jessica Chastain absolutely killing their respective roles. The camera work is creative and engaging, choosing to hold shots for long periods while keeping the focus on the heroes of the story. But probably most of all, this movie works because it very (seemingly) accurately portrays the events and people involved without needing to inject needless Hollywood drama.

Netflix has a reputation for producing movies ranging from mediocre to downright terrible, but this one is not one of either.

It always adds to the viewing experience when a movie is (accurately) based on disturbing real life events, and that's what makes this Netflix slow burner so much more compelling.

Of course it also helps when you get two Oscar winning heavyweights in Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne as the two leads, and unsurprisningly, these two legit A-listers are absolutely brilliant in this one.

While the story largely focuses on the lives and relationship between two ICU nightshift nurses, what it's really about is the greed, self preservation and insanity of the money obsessed American healthcare system, where the mantra is very much "profit over life".

It's this underlying theme coupled with the fact that mass murderer nurse Charles Cullen (Redmayne) was responsible for up to 400 hospital murders (but charged with just 29) that keep you gripped and in a state of shocked disbelief as the film slowly progresses.

Eddie's portrayal of Cullen is aptly understated, creepy and foreboding while Chastain's Angel of mercy whistleblower is steely strong, compassionate and right on the money. A shout out as well to the rest of the small supporting cast who also do a stellar job.

Yes it's dark, dour and slow moving but the artistry and true life events on show here overrides all this - it's a must-see movie folks, because let's face it, this type of harsh reality relates to us all in one way or another.

If you are lucky to have a free, integrity based healthcare system count your blessings... you should after watching this! Heartfelt recommended viewing.

Set in 2003 at Parkfield Memorial Hospital, Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain) is a single mother with two daughters working as night nurse in the ICU who suffers from a heart condition but is without Health Insurance and must continue working long hours while keeping it a secret for the next few months before she's qualified for insurance. The hospital is soon joined by nurse Charles "Charlie" Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) who strikes up a friendship with Amy and even helps her during her cardiac episodes at his own expense. However when the death of a patient is put under internal review by Parkfield's risk mitigator, Linda Garran (Kim Dickens), the hospital brings in homicide detectives Danny Baldwin (Nmamdi Asomugha) and Tim Braun (Noah Emmerich), per the directives of the CDC for suspicious hospital deaths but are massively uncooperative only bringing them in 8 weeks after their internal review and with the body already released to the family and cremated. However, when Braun and Baldwin begin examining Charlie's history, they come to believe he may have been involved in the death as does Amy.

The Good Nurse is an adaptation of the 2013 true crime book, The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber that details serial killer Charles Cullen. While originally setup at Lionsgate, Lionsgate eventually decided they would no longer be involved and rights to the film were picked up by Netflix. The film is the English language debut for Danish director Tobias Lindholm whose previous credits such as A Hijacking and A War have earned Lindholm considerable acclaim and the latter even scoring Academy Award nominations. With all those elements it's pretty obvious Netflix intends for this to be an awards contender for the Fall movie season and I think this is an undeniably strong prestige piece.

The Good Nurse features some terrific turns by reliable staples Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne who both feel really at home in their roles. Redmayne is really good as Charlie and while he does capture that coldness you expect during the very few death scenes that are actually on display in the film, the movie looks at Charlie in between those scenes with his genuinely concerned and nurturing attitude he carries towards Amy setting up the tragedy of this situation as the early scenes between him and Chastain almost make you forget for a moment who he is. The movie doesn't frame this situation as a thriller and avoids being exploitative with no lingering on death scenes and sidestepping some of the tropes of lesser serial killer films by framing the story as one of systemic buck passing that allowed Charlie to move from hospital to hospital and no action ever taken to prevent him from continuing for fear it would open these hospitals to lawsuits. The movie's very much an inditement on the nature of the healthcare industry complete with the dramatic irony (that was unfortunately true to life) of Amy being a nurse who can't afford treatment for herself. Jessica Chastain is really good in the role of Amy Loughren and she sells her performance against Redmayne quite effectively. Tobias Lindholm's direction of the film is also quite strong and with its more naturalistic filmmaking style it avoids making itself feel like a TV procedural or thriller by keeping focus on the human element.

The Good Nurse is a fantastic English language debut for Lindholm and continues the strong work for Chastain and Redmayne. I highly recommend this film and not just to true crime enthusiasts.

Eddie Redmayne is just effortlessly portraying a wide variety of characters but not nearly as many as I would like to see. His performances are always outstanding and this performance to date is my favourite for Best Actor. Eddie and Jessica carry what seems to be a not so thorough look on the serial killer that is Charles Cullen. Very basic and shocking story carried by a powerful lead performance. I recently just finished Dahmer and this was the perfect come down from what was one of the most thorough portrayals of a seriel killer I've seen on television. Highly recommend The Good Nurse and a solid 8/10 from me.

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 freeze 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 by 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.

To me the standout of this film were the performances. But first looking at the movie itself it was a slow build up in the first half hour till charles comes onto the scene. I'm not sure though this film works as a thriller or mystery its more of a dark drama and if labeled as such would be better understood. But as based on real life films go this does at atleast do the job and is still an interesting watch. Eddie redmayne playes charlie, the nurse the film is about. He comes off as creepy and off putting making it a great role that he filled well. The same goes for jessica chastaine as amy, the other nurse who suspects something is up after a pateints death. Her performances is just as good and both are really good. Overall an interesting film to watch. Little slow in places but overall ok.

Jessica and Eddie did extremely well with the dialogue they were given. With less talented actors, this movie would have been a complete bore. I think those who wrote the screenplay did a great job at portraying the harsh conditions of healthcare workers in the 90s/ early 2000s. However, the characters were underdeveloped, which was an absolute shame because I was left with so many questions.

They spent a lot of screen time building Amy and Charles's friendship, but not enough time giving us an idea of why Charle and Amy were the way they were. Why was Amy a single mother? Why did Charles keep getting hired with such a sketchy background? Why was the hospital covering for him? These questions are never answered and it made me wonder how much of this movie was real.

Don't worry, all of those answers are easily googlable, but I feel like if those questions were given answers in the movie, I would have been much more invested. I felt like it was wasting Jessica and Eddie's talent by not diving into their characters more because the acting is so good.

Like when Amy is starting to get suspicious of Charles, even though Charles's behavior doesn't change, I was scared of him. Amy's fear displays enough for the audience but hides enough to protect herself from Charles, making you terrified for her and creeped out by Charles. Which screws with your head because Charles's behavior doesn't change. He's still as sweet as he always was, but instead of finding it charming as you did at the beginning of the movie, you slowly start finding it creepy.

Perhaps if this movie was a miniseries, I would have liked it more since it wouldn't have left so much of the real story out. As a movie, it just glossed over too much. That being said, if you're interested in the case of Charles Cullen and enjoy a great performance, you'll enjoy this movie.

In true-crime drama "The Good Nurse" Jessica Chastain & Eddie Redmayne (two superb talents at the top of their games) are nurses in a New Jersey hospital ICU where unbeknownst to them a mysterious death on their ward is under investigation (involving cops Nnamdi Asumgha & Noah Emmerich (and hospital 'Risk Manager' Kim Dickens)). As different facts slowly come to light the cops help Chastain begin to realise that her kindly close friend may actually be a killer... even a serial killer. Excellently directed with slow-burn tension by Tobias Lindholm, and written at good, engaging & growing pace by Krysty Wilson-Cairns, this is high-quality film-making.

Just finished watching the Good Nurse, and I'm not quite sure what to make of it. I really liked the performances from both lead roles, you know who they are. The film had some good moments but overall the film is not very thrilling or entertaining. The fact that it's based on an true story maybe hindered it a bit. Didn't enjoy the dim lighting, that seems to be a trend now, every movie needs to be unsaturated and boring looking (not colorful). The problem with the film is that it lacks tension and emotion. Only very few moments where I felt anything thrilling. If they didn't want to go that route at least add some social commentary or anything that'll interest me. To sum up, A mediocre bio film with some good moments, 6/10.

Overworked nurse Amy Loughren befriends new team addition Charles Cullen, no sooner does he arrive on the ward, do the number of early deaths start increasing.

Such a chilling story, I have seen and read info about the case before, so I had an idea of what to expect, credit to the writing and production team for keeping it realistic, at no time did it feel as though it had been sensationalised or over dramatised.

What's more chilling, the actual crimes, or the stonewalling? It saddens me to think of healthcare as a business, but sadly that's what it is, the way he was allowed to move from job to job, I hope those that facilitated this struggle to live with themselves, they effectively enabled him to kill.

Well paced, dramatic, definitely chilling, for a long film it passed by quickly.

Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne were both terrific in their respective roles, two genuinely sincere and believable performances, Charles Cullen was portrayed as someone you'd trust, someone kind, caring, but deadly.

8/10.

Greetings again from the darkness. A film focusing on a single mom who works as a dedicated and caring and overworked ICU nurse, and who is diagnosed with a heart condition requiring a transplant, and who is trying to hang on to her job long enough to secure medical insurance, and who is a loving mom to her two young kids, would normally have enough drama and stress to carry the story. But that's not nearly enough for filmmaker Tobias Lindholm, who has written three outstanding screenplays: THE HUNT (2012), A WAR (2017), and ANOTHER ROUND 2020). Here he's directing a Krysty Wilson-Cairns (LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, 2021) adaptation of Charles Graeber's book about the man who may very well be the most prolific serial killer in history.

Jessica Chastain plays nurse Amy Laughren, who is faced with numerous challenges both at work and at home. Despite needing a heart transplant, she keeps this secret from her employer so that she can work the last few months need to gain health insurance through the New Jersey hospital where she works. Strained beyond reasonableness, she sees hope when a new nurse is hired. Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) discovers her secret and offers to help her - not just with her patient workload, but also with her parenting responsibilities. Charlie is a Godsend for Amy.

Too soon, doubts begin to show. One of Amy's patients dies unexpectedly, and the hospital administrator (Kim Dickens) calls the police, in what is a defensive move to protect the hospital's business rather than uncover the truth. The detectives played by Noah Emmerich and (former NFL star) Nnamdi Asomugha feel handcuffed in their investigation as the hospital blocks their efforts at every turn. Their suspicion focuses on Charlie and his strange work history of being dismissed by 9 previous hospitals.

The obvious evil here is a medical professional who kills patients, but the enabler of this evil is a hospital system that values reputation and finances over the morally correct decisions. Both are frightening and both are dangerous. Cullen killed at least 29 people, and is suspected of killing upwards of 400. Lindholm sticks to a drab palette to match the grim subject matter, and both Ms. Chastain and Mr. Redmayne take low key approaches to two characters ... one heroic and one truly dangerous.

Streaming on Netflix beginning October 26, 2022.

This movie had interesting topics, good actors, so I expected it to be good. But it turned out to be actually almost boring. It was very slow, and it felt void of any real emotion or depth. I kept wanting to turn it off, mostly persevered to the end in the hopes that at some point it will get better. It did not. The story itself was good, but the presentation really was not. The actors really did what they could, I can't fault them for the outcome, but the script they had to work with hardly provided them with any opportunity to shine. I'm sure a 50 minute documentary would have evoked more of a reaction from me than this dramatization.

Eddy and Jessica are both phenomenal, but the story and directing lack the triumph this film could have been.

This movie could have been epic, sticking to the values of the 'good nurse' who was at the premiere. The issue was the film is set on a grey dreary day and you just want to see daylight or a light on. It does set the tone, but it makes the movie very very slow and boring.

If this film didn't have the acting talent it had, it would have been a total flop. However, the acting is award worthy and should not be downplayed.

Overall the film is good, but it lacks some serious dynamics and feels very much like a Netflix movie.

I just finished watching '5 days at memorial' over on apple+... That was great, a very sad but interesting story I didn't know about... This was similar... Such an interesting story that needs watching to be believed.

The screenplay was a dark and moody one, fitting, that really played on your emotions and future thoughts on the subject. The acting of course was excellent with the two leads we know as Oscar t winners... and the investigative nature of the story is always interesting.

As a drama it plays out well and was a very unassuming film that has gone under the radar up until it appeared on the Netflix feed... I just wish there was a a backstory segment in act I or maybe a non-linear storyline that moved back to the beginning then forward to the end.

After so many films/ series about same subject, it is difficult to not admit than the motif to see this film is, the first one, the presence of Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne. As admirer of the last one, my expectations were not very high about subject and its development ( after Coma by Michael Crichton, I suppose, it is not just easy to innovate on this theme) so the target was the manner to play with the pieces defining his character of Redmayne.

No dissapointment.

Sure, a real case and fair end, admirable acting and a story proposing a fist of questions to viewer, the nice reflection about healthcare workers and a not bidimensional portrait of Charles Cullen, a fair image of the silence of hospitals and the single mother, assuming terrible risks.

Against the impression about a too slow story , not very credible details, you do not regret the time dedicated to see this film .Yes, indeed, the first motif are the main actors.

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The Good Nurse is competently made, well acted, and effectively critiques the American healthcare system that prioritizes cash over patients' well-being. So what's the problem? Mainly, the film is less than the sum of its parts. All of its positive elements are severely diminished thanks to an unbelievably slow pace and a middling script.

Whatever the film's flaws are, Jessica Chastain is certainly not one of them. Her performance finds nuance and empathy in a character that's fairly one-note. If I'm being honest, I preferred her role here to her Best Actress-winning turn in The Eyes of Tammy Faye from last year. Redmayne also does good work here, until he goes over-the-top near the end to such a degree that I barely could stifle my laughs.

The main issue is that the plot is interesting and could fill a 90 minute movie, but at 2 hours it's just too thin. Because of this, the runtime is padded by a glacial pace that makes it very difficult to be engaged with the film as a whole. I'm not opposed to a slower vibe per se, but only when it works for the movie instead of against it. But here, it's unnecessary and only detracts from the drama by pulling you out of it. This problem is made all the stranger by how rushed the ending feels with a solution that seems far too simple and contrived. I'm not even totally sure how and why the movie is this slow, since characterization and any motivation for the crimes are lackluster.

Speaking of which, it's really strange how little development any of these people get. One of Chastain's character's main struggles is completely dropped by the last act and is only mentioned in passing in end text. Redmayne barely has a character to begin with, especially considering that he is the monster the whole movie is based around. Their acting is able to make up for some of it, but unfortunately not enough of it.

Should you watch this movie? If you are interested in the real-life case and like Jessica Chastain or Eddie Redmayne, then go for it. Otherwise, there's nothing separating this from the deluge of true crime movies and shows that are currently all-the-rage on Netflix.

Final Score: 62/100.

There's a new guy joined the team to ease the pain, help support emergencies, lessen the strain, a caring kind of type, helps you with your own health plight, doesn't seem like he'd do anything insane. But suspicions start to rise when someone dies, those in charge begin to cast, curious eyes, as barriers are erected, more cadavers are connected, piece by piece, you recognise, what this implies.

It's a bit made for TV and nothing wholly original but the performances are fine and it may get you questioning how you perceive those you entrust your heart and soul to when you and/or your loved ones are at their most vulnerable.

I hadn't read any reviews or seen any trailers for this film, so I watched it with a blank canvas. Jessica Chastain is one if my favourite actresses and Eddie Redmayne is brilliant too, which is why I decided to watch the film in the first place.

This is not an action packed film, but a slow paced, thoughtful piece, allowing the viewer to engage with the two principal characters- Chastain and Redmayne. Not long into the film it was obvious something was amiss, but I didn't know the premise of the story and was waiting for a double bluff.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll stop there. However, I was shocked to learn that the film is based on a true story. How these events were allowed to happen, I can't comprehend.

Anyway, enjoy two stellar performances, ably supported by the actors who played the detectives.

The real life story is very sad and a compelling story. I feel like this movie makes one of the biggest serial killers in the world look like a decent human being which is a little frustrating. People complain about Dahmer but they didn't make him look like a nice guy like they have with Cullen.

Anyway...Redmayne does such a good job in this. He's a great actor. Chastain also did really well.

I'm all for a slow movie as long as it's still thrilling or mesmerising, but this one kinda just dragged out a bit. Long periods of silence and the lighting was so muted and dark the whole time, even though it wasn't a 'moody' psychological thriller type movie.

Surprisingly captivating film. Really. You should not be fooled. If you didn't read any overview about this film prior to watching it, you'll think this is a a feel-good film because of the title. But it's a veritable thriller.

The first part of the film reminds you of the great work that nurses do. Nursing is a difficult, tiresome and, sometimes, thankless job but being a good nurse is more than a job, it's a calling. Particularly at the height of the COVID pandemic.

What's distinctive about this film is that it forces you to ask a lot of questions, frantic "what if" questions. That's how tight the storyline is and how director Lundholm succeeds in keeping you on tenterhooks. Sixteen minutes to the closing credits and the viewer still doesn't have a clue as to how it will end.

The two lead actors are wonderful. Eddie Reymayne is consistently a good actor and his performance here is par for the course. He is sinister here in a quiet way which makes him appear to the viewer as more dangerous. And Jessica Chastein embodies the qualities of a good nurse in Amy but she'll rise to the occasion when it's needed.

Watch it. You'd feel relieved when it ends.

This is like an evening at a restaurant that has been highly recommended. You check it out online in advance and note the assertion of high quality ingredients. So you book, get ready and go there only to find the place actually looks a little shabby, cheap even. Still you dont want to judge so soon so you commit to going in but then discover they are short staffed and half the menu is unavailable. You get served a bland appetiser, skip the main course (unavailable) and then get a rushed out average dessert with the bill coming at the same time.

Expectations are unmet, your time feels wasted and your experience is not one you wish to repeat. You'll be sorry you bothered.

A major message if this film is that many hospital administrators care more about money than about people, even if it means breaking the law. If that is true of the hospital administrators depicted in this movie, then this movie does a despicably poor job of portraying that. It makes no effort to explore the reasons why admins would be pressured to compromise patient care.

I could believe that hospital administrators sometimes exercise poor judgement when faced with impossible moral dilemmas. Instead they are depicted as pure evil. Frankly, that's hard to believe, especially when that accusation is being simultaneously leveled against 10+ independent hospitals.

It is also implied that law enforcement in the jurisdictions of each hospital ignored evidence of criminal wrongdoing and that more people should have been prosecuted.

This movie is superbly acted. It is well done in many other ways. However, it is undermined by an inability to fairly consider the merits of the other side of the argument. Consequently, the film destroys the credibility of its primary message.