A killer nurse’s trajectory from doctor’s scrubs to handcuffs is depicted in the eerie crime drama The Good Nurse (now streaming on Netflix). Based on the true story of Charlie Cullen’s 16-year crime spree – which included the murder of at least 29 hospital patients and up to 400 additional victims – the film details the horrific events that led to his eventual arrest. Directed by Tobias Lindholm, whose previous credits include screenwriter on 2021’s Oscar-winning film Another Round and writing the teleplay for one of Netflix’s most binge-able crime series, Mindhunter.
Academy Award-winning actor Eddie Redmayne transforms himself into the 40-year-old sociopath Charlie Cullen. Having bounced around from hospital to hospital throughout his questionable tenure as an ICU nurse, he lands on the floor of a hospital in Central New Jersey in 2003. Here, he meets fellow ICU nurse Amy Loughren (Academy Award-winner Jessica Chastain), a compassionate woman and single mother of two whose own struggle with her health is becoming life-threatening. Amy immediately takes to Charlie’s sweet disposition and kind nature, and his goodwill extends beyond that of just a colleague. Their relationship quickly goes from co-workers to friends, staying purely platonic but genuinely invested. However, Amy soon discovers that Charlie’s projection of being a good guy isn’t necessarily true for everyone he meets.
While initially optimistic about Charlie’s addition to the hospital staff, his presence is overshadowed by the mysterious death of two patients. These unnatural circumstances lead the hospital’s senior staff to involve state police and an external investigation into their causes of death is quickly launched. The two detectives assigned to the case, Danny Baldwin (Nnamdi Asomugha) and Tim Braun (Noah Emmerich), are immediately suspicious of the hospital’s vow of secrecy and believe they are hiding behind loopholes in the law. When a light is cast on Charlie’s sketchy employment history and possible involvement, the detectives reach out to Amy to see if they can crack the case, with her help, from the inside. Reluctant to believe that her friend is a murderer, seeds of doubt have already been planted and Amy takes it upon herself to risk their relationship, his future, and her life, to see that justice is served.
The Good Nurse does an especially good job of capturing the essence of feeling unsettled. Masterfully crafted to match the nature of the crimes, the film is deliberately paced so that the audience feels like they’re uncovering Charlie’s inconsistencies at the same time as Amy. Running just over 2 hours long, the film successfully builds suspense until the pressure cooker of intensity explodes at the very end, evidenced by Eddie Redmayne’s remarkably powerful performance. His characterization of a serial killer is subtle yet undeniably haunting. In her role as an empathetic woman who finds herself struggling with mounting internal conflict, Jessica Chastain is the film’s emotional vehicle. Her battle is internal yet we all clearly feel her plight, which is further explored through the film’s soundtrack by ambient musician and composer, Biosphere.
Produced by Darren Aronofsky’s production company Protozoa Pictures and FilmNation Entertainment, The Good Nurse is a thrilling watch that feels too surreal to be true. However, for as entertaining as it is to see onscreen, the lingering takeaway that not all service workers in uniform have good intentions is a dark realization that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.
2 hours 1 minute. Rated R for language. ‘The Good Nurse’ is now available to stream on Netflix.
