The Good Nurse review: A slow-burn that asks for commitment

The Good Nurse follows the story of Amy, a nurse, who gets close to a new colleague of hers, unaware that he is killing patients at the hospital. The movie is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Amy, a compassionate nurse and a single mother suffering from a heart condition, finds herself working heavy night shifts until a new colleague named Charles ‘Charlie’ Cullen joins her. Amy and Charlie instantly hit it off, and she soon lets him into her life.

One night, one of Amy’s patients suddenly dies during the shift change. The hospital conducts an internal investigation that goes on for seven weeks before alerting the cops.

The detectives find it hard to piece everything together as the hospital tries to keep the intricate details of the case away from them. Going through the staff’s history sees them coming across Charlie, who has a criminal record for trespassing and harassment.

They also get a chance to talk to Amy alone, who helps them discover that someone gave the patient insulin, which might be the cause of death.

At the same time, she denies that Charlie has anything to do with it until another patient dies, and detectives inform her that he has gone on to switch nine hospitals, and none of them want to talk about him.

Amy conducts an investigation of her own and finds out that Charlie is indeed injecting the saline bags with insulin before they could even leave the storage room.

She starts being careful around him and works secretly with the detectives to persuade him to confess his crimes.

Performances

Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren puts on an emotional performance and takes the spotlight in a movie that is more focused on the serial killer’s friend.

Eddie Redmayne as Charles ‘Charlie’ Cullen comes packed with surprises. For the very first half, he acts as a completely sane and likable person. In the second half, he pushes himself a bit to portray a more vulnerable side of the character.

The movie is overall a two-character show, with both Chastain and Redmayne carrying the story on their backs with their chemistry.

Positives

The Good Nurse comes with a different point of view for a crime thriller that is based on a true story. The criminal, his murders, and his dark past are kept completely aside in favor of the relationship he forms with a nurse at a hospital.

This way, the movie presents everything right in front of the viewer. The journey of how Amy persuades Charlie to confess is the crux of the whole story.

It also reflects the message of how a murder could have been avoided if proper measures had been taken.

Amy’s character, who is alert at all times, serves as a good example of it as she volunteers to help the detectives while the officials at the hospital are trying to save themselves.

Negatives

For a crime drama based on a true story, the show really lacks the small thrills that are required to excite the viewer.

The movie is extremely slow. At times, it relies on long-standing pauses, which are used to address the emotional state of the character, but here, these pauses only work as breaks.

Verdict

The Good Nurse is a compelling serial killer drama from a different and fresh perspective. Despite the good portrayal, the film asks for complete attention from the viewers if they really want to enjoy the ride.

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Also Read: The Good Nurse ending explained: Does Charlie confess to his crimes?