The Good Nurse – Film Review

Nurse Amy Loughren is shocked when Charlie Cullen, one of her colleagues, is found responsible for the murder of dozens of patients over a period of sixteen years, across two states and nine hospitals, without being charged.

There’s a certain atmosphere present in Tobias Lindholm‘s The Good Nurse that will leave you feeling deeply disturbed and uncomfortable throughout every single minute of its over two-hour running time. Lindholm and screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns have crafted a film that feels so sickening to the point where you can barely stomach it. It’s made even more freaky when you consider the fact that it’s all based on a true story.

This is the definition of a slow-burning crime drama that will leave you guessing at nearly every turn. Even though this is based on a true story, you’ll find yourself consistently surprised and creeped out, even if you’re already familiar with the real-life story. There’s just something so inviting about this film. Wilson-Cairns’ script is brimming with life and depth. She does a marvelous job at making us care about our lead protagonist Amy Loughren, who is just your ordinary nurse who just wants to do her job right.

And then there’s a new nurse that gets brought in, named Charles Cullen. He’s an experienced man in his field, and he seems to be doing a wonderful job at what he does. But as the story begins to unravel, the darker the man seems to truly be. Eddie Redmayne delivers one of the best performances of his career in the role. He’s so incredibly chilling without even having to do much of anything, really.

He delivers his lines and looks around for lots of the movie, and that’s what makes him so eerie. Seeing him simply stand and look at somebody in a weird way is all that I needed for nightmare fuel to be injected into my brain. Also terrific here is Jessica Chastain as Amy. It’s definitely one of the most understated performances of her career, and one that’ll leave you deeply intrigued the whole time.

Is it one of the best performances I’ve seen from her? Not necessarily. But for the type of movie this was trying to be, Chastain most definitely delivered the best performance she could’ve possibly delivered. Everybody involved with this film in front of and behind the camera did a fantastic job and really brought forth their A-game. Casting directors Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu understood the assignment.

One thing you should know about The Good Nurse before seeing it is that it’s fairly formulaic. There’s nothing this movie does that truly changes the game in any way. It also features some tropes along the way, so if that kind of thing seems like a turn-off, then this film probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re in search of a legitimately chilling and impressively directed and acted crime drama, look no further.

The Good Nurse is a bone-chilling crime drama with an excellently sharp script from Krysty Wilson-Cairns, and featuring two understated and powerful performances from Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne.