Trust is the most essential aspect of any relationship. Trust can make a relationship beautiful and pure. However, when we trust someone, be it our friends, coworkers, or relatives, we also give them the power to hurt us. Sometimes people end up putting their trust in the wrong person. This is exactly what we see in Tobias Lindholm’s new film, The Good Nurse. This film is based on the real-life case of serial killer Charles Cullen. Unfortunately, the movie’s overall tone is as gray as the dull hospital rooms in which the story takes place- taking away the energy from what would otherwise be a stellar thriller.
The central plot revolves around Amy, a sympathetic but overworked nurse, who does not have an easy life. In addition to being a single mother with a fatal heart condition, her night shifts at the hospital push her to the breaking-point both emotionally and physically. Fortunately, an assistant, Charlie Cullen, is transferred to work in the same hospital and this colleague turned friend improves her situation. Amy and Charlie grow closer over time, and she experiences a rare glimmer of hope when she is reassured about the future. However, when some of her patients die out of nowhere, that’s when she decides that she needs to uncover the truth because Charlie was labeled as a key suspect for all these ambiguous patient deaths.
The “good nurse” in the title is not Charles Cullen, not even in an ironic sense, because he is a genuine serial killer who was convicted of numerous murders and was arguably one of the most prolific murderers of all time. Instead, Jessica Chastain, who plays his coworker Amy Loughren, is the good nurse because she initially accepted Cullen as a friend, later suspected him, and eventually assisted the authorities in bringing him down.
Chastain excels at delivering a subtle performance, relishing the film’s quiet moments where she uses her body language to communicate her character’s anxiety. On the other hand, Redmayne plays a dormant threat with the trademark coyness seen in many of his most recognizable roles.
Another vital element in this film was Nnamdi Asomugha’s portrayal of Danny Baldwin, a state police officer obsessed with solving the Parkfield Memorial Hospital murder (a facility created for the movie). Asomugha portrays a man with many swaggers who has a low tolerance for nonsense. With his intense looks and assertive delivery, the former football cornerback’s charisma shines in the role, establishing him as the film’s best-supporting cast member.
The storyline is intriguingly unique due to the approach of perspective used. Even when we see the victims and their lives, and the people who bring their crimes to light, the main focus remains on the serial killer. The other individuals involved are usually only a minor inclusion because the main plot almost always revolves around the killer. This perspective allows the film to zoom in on how sometimes the true heroes responsible for uncovering the serial killers are overshadowed by the killer himself, which is a sobering realization.
The Good Nurse is a strong crime drama that excels but falls short of a crime thriller. The narrative does very little to analyze the mind of the serial murderer outside of exploring Amy’s background and perspective.
Recognizing the movie focuses primarily on the “good nurse,” it would have still been great to have had some background information on the murderer. Regrettably, we are not even given an informed guess regarding the whys and hows. Great performances and excellent editing can’t make up for the film’s lack of style- displaying a great deal of potential that ultimately leads to disappointment. Unique concepts that were very close to a well-done execution plague the film’s script and direction.
Despite that, The Good Nurse is a solid movie worth watching. Whatever Lindholm takes on next should be on everyone’s radar, given his ability to obtain great acting from his leads and establish a cohesive atmosphere within the movie, even if the projects’ elements don’t make a good match.