The Good Nurse (2022) Movie Review – Strong performances carry a simple yet unsettling premise

The strong performance is based on an unsettling, yet simple premise

The Good Nurse is a semi-autobiographical crime thriller available on Netflix, based on Charles Graeber’s 2013 book of the same name. The drama is a story of the ignorance of doctors and insanity as well as murders.

The story revolves around Amy an empathetic nurse, but one who is overworked. She does not have a comfortable life. Apart from being a single mom and suffering from an untimely heart condition Her night shifts at the hospital forced her to the edge of danger on both a psychological as well as physical level. The support provided by Charlie Cullen, a colleague, and friend, is a blessing, making things easier for her.

Amy and Charlie develop a bond over time and a moment of optimism occurs when she’s reassured by the future. However, she needs to utilize every tool at her disposal to discover the truth when she discovers that he’s an important suspect in a series of unclear patient deaths.

The title of any film is crucial however, the title of “The Good Nurse”, which is based on the horrific serial murders of a number of patients by a sloppy nurse who put deadly chemicals into the IV bags is a significant one. It is important to note that the “good nurse” in the film’s title is not Charles Cullen, not even in a humorous sense, as the serial killer who was found guilty of numerous murders. He was, in fact, one of some of the greatest murderers ever.

In contrast, Jessica Chastain, who is his friend Amy Loughren is a great nurse since she initially took on Cullen as a friend. She eventually recognized him as a suspect and eventually aided the authorities by helping get him out of the way.

By focusing on serial killer Charles Cullen, the semi-autobiographical thriller could have easily become another horrifying true-crime thriller, but instead, it chooses a completely different approach to convey its compelling case.

Because of the way in which it is handled the story is fascinating and original. Although we are able to glimpse the lives of the victims and the individuals who reveal their crimes The main focus is typically upon the serial murderer and other people who are involved in the case usually serve as an unimportant element since the main storyline is almost always centered around the murderer. Through this method, the film helps us understand how sometimes the real heroes who are accountable for exposing serial killers are often swept aside by the murderer himself and this is a shocking realization.

Cullen who is currently serving a life sentence hasn’t yet revealed his motives, and maybe Director Lindholm of this heartbreaking film that is a feel-good thriller doesn’t care about making an educated conclusion. The character of Eddie Redmayne Cullen attempts to explain his motives but Lindholm blocks him out with police sirens and mournful music.

Lindholm along with another writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns sought to tackle pressing issues that include: How did Cullen be able to get away with his killings over the course of 16 years while working at nine different hospitals? Did his institutions have a shortage of resources and staff to identify? Are they so afraid of legal proceedings that they pushed Cullen from their neighborhood without even a negative letter of recommendation or even an appeal for help from the police?

The main culprit, in this case, is the medical professional who kills victims, however, the system within the hospital that allows the crime to flourish puts the interests of profit and reputation over morality. Both are terrifying and alarming.

The plot, in which two investigators are impeded by hospital administrators who reduce deaths to “unexplainable events”, as according to the views of a calm and shrewd risk manager, contains an element of Gogol-esque humor. Cullen is actually a symptom of cancer in the organization as per the film’s view.

The film is dark and frightening; it starts slow but then escalates in a dramatic manner. Furthermore, the film is very well-made, with exceptional timing and plenty of tension. The crime drama isn’t very graphic, or even particularly violent, considering that it’s based around an actual serial murderer.

Cullen is depicted in the film by Redmayne in a manner that is so dull that he would blend in with the background. He even wears gray cardigans, evidently following the descriptions in the book, particularly that in which the author refers to Cullen to be “a sad Mr. Rogers type”. The killer is an actual mystery as he is not a known persona.

Although Redmayne shows the brutality that you would expect during the few death scenes in the interludes, the film depicts Charlie showing warmth and compassion towards Amy which highlights the tragedy of the plot as the first scenes featuring him and Chastain almost make you forget the man he truly is.

Noah Emmerich and Malik Yoba The two detectives assigned to the case are noteworthy because they seem to be authentic and distinctive when contrasted to other movie police.

The Good Nurse is a strong crime drama that does well however it is not as effective as a thriller. The story does little to explore the mental state of the serial killer beyond examining Amy’s past and perspective.

We know that the film focuses on “the “Good nurse,” but it would have been nice to have some background information regarding the person who committed the murder. We aren’t even offered a shrewd opinion on the reasons and the whats.

While we know that The Good Nurse is based on an actual serial killer, seeing the movie trailer you cannot avoid the feeling that they’ve revealed too much information in it. But, The Good Nurse is an excellent film and definitely worth watching.