Meurtres sans ordonnance

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.