The Good Nurse (2022) - Netflix Movie - Review: Weaker than Expected

The Good Nurse is a movie directed by Tobias Lindholm, starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne.

The story is based on the true crime book, by same title, written by Charles Graeber.

Premise

Amy is a hardworking ICU nurse is struggling to cope, not only is she a single mother, she also has to has a life-threatening heart condition. When a new nurse, Charlie, arrives Amy forms a bond with him, and she starts to feel hopeful about her future, until a series of deaths occur in the hospital and Charlie becomes the main suspect.

Movie Review

Counting on a great cast, and solid performances, especially on part of Jessica Chastain, we are told this chilling story of the case concerning a deranged nurse who murdered hospital patients. Viewing the story primarily from Amy’s (Chastain) perspective, we are introduced into this gruesome sequence of events from peripheral characters.

It is not poorly produced, the two protagonists are Oscar award winning actors, after all. Nobody fails solemnly here, however, the screenplay could have been stronger, much stronger and have approached the entire story differently.

In light if the fact that this is based on real life events, incredible as the story may be, the storyline is already set. In this movie it is carried forward by not focusing so much on the murderer’s figure, but more on the people surrounding the case, and especially Chastain’s character. We do get glimpses of the two police detectives investigating the mysterious deaths in the hospitals, and they are wonderfully portrayed by Nnamdi Asomugha and Noah Emmerich.

The narrative is streamlined, and there is not much novelty in this formula.

Our Opinion

We are offered a well told story, with some melodramatic touches here and there, which make it lose strength. Yes, the movie lacks strength in the screenplay and cinematographic execution.

The Stars

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain is an Academy Award winning actress known for the movies Zero Dark City (2011) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021).

Jessica Michelle Chastain is an American actress born in Sacramento (California) on March 24, 1977.

She is known for movies like Zero Dark Thirty (2011), Ava (2020), and The 355 (2022).

Chastain won an Oscar for Best Actress at the 2022 Academy Awards for her role in The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021). We will soon be able to watch her in the upcoming movie The Good Nurse.

Eddie Redmayne

Edward John David Redmayne OBE (born 6 January 1982) is an English actor and model. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a British Academy Film Award.

He began his professional acting career in West End theatre before making his screen debut in 1996 with guest television appearances. His first films were Like Minds (2006), The Good Shepherd (2006) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007). On the stage, Redmayne starred in the productions of Red from 2009 to 2010 and Richard II from 2011 to 2012. The former won him the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.