Netflix has been on a roll this year in all things crime, from films like I Came By, to documentaries like I Just Killed My Dad, and upcoming comedy crime film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Continuing this streak, the streamer is releasing the upcoming crime drama The Good Nurse, based on true events.
Starring Oscar winning actors Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne, The Good Nurse had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and has received strong reviews so far. It’s directed by the acclaimed Danish director Tobias Lindholm, known for his work on films like Another Round. His latest film sees a hospital nurse, played by Chastain, who slowly becomes suspicious that her colleague and friend (Redmayne) is secretly murdering his patients. Chastain’s character, Amy, is a single parent finding life tough and juggling work commitments and her personal responsibilities, as well as dealing with a life threatening heart condition. She finds some solace in becoming good friends with Redmayne’s Charles Cullen, who’s new at the ICU she works at.
Amy’s put more at ease by Charles’ friendliness and comforting personality, and things seem to be going well. However, she becomes perplexed when several patients begin dying in the hospital, despite the fact that they’re fairly healthy and recovering, with no explanation. An investigation begins, but moves slowly, and rumours begin to spread that Charles is the culprit, with a dark history of past grim crimes. Amy is forced into investigating her friend, putting herself and her children in growing peril.
Rumours begin to spread that Charles is the culprit...
The film is based off a real life case, where after working in various hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the real Charles Cullen was found to have indeed been killing patients, following the suspicions of Amy Loughren, and was eventually tried and convicted of murder. The conviction was for 29 murders, though Cullen has confessed on the record to killing up to 40. Experts have suggested that Cullen may well have killed as many as 400 patients, making him the most prolific serial killer in recorded history.
According to early critical reviews from the festival, Redmayne is particularly good at playing the creepy and sinister Cullen, as he flips from his cool and indifferent persona to one of friendliness and caring when around Amy. Chastain meanwhile is also great as Amy, also playing a subtle and understated performance as the struggling nurse. Other actors appearing in the film include Kim Dickens (House of Cards, Fear The Walking Dead) Noah Emmerich (The Americans, The Truman Show) and Nnamdi Asomugha (Crown Heights).
Following the film’s TIFF premiere, The Good Nurse debuted in cinemas in the US on 19th October – and comes to Netflix UK & US on the 26th October. For a taste of what to expect, watch the film’s trailer above.
THE GOOD NURSE ARRIVES ON NETFLIX ON 26TH OCTOBER
