The Good Nurse

Based on true events, The Good Nurse follows Jessica Chastain’s Amy as she becomes increasingly convinced that a new coworker (Eddie Redmayne’s Charles) is perhaps not quite as harmless as he seems. It’s engrossing subject matter that’s employed to slightly overlong yet mostly engaging effect by Tobias Lindholm, as the filmmaker, who kicks off the proceedings with an impressively spellbinding opening shot, delivers a stylish drama that benefits from the top-tier work of its various performers – with Chastain and Redmayne’s predictably stellar efforts matched by a sterling supporting cast that includes Kim Dickens, Malik Yoba, and Noah Emmerich. (The latter is especially compelling as a detective who becomes more and more convinced that Charles is up to nefarious shenanigans.) And although certain periphery characters are painted with something of a broad brush, including the almost mustache-twirling hospital administrator and chief legal counsel, The Good Nurse moves into a procedural-like second half that’s far more enthralling than one might’ve anticipated – with the compelling vibe perpetuated by an ongoing emphasis on gripping, upsetting sequences (eg an exhumation, an interrogation, etc). By the time the satisfying finale rolls around, The Good Nurse has cemented its place as a stirring true-life tale that does, on top of everything else, stand as a fairly scathing indictment of the American medical system.

***1/2 out of ****