“The Good Nurse” (2022), directed by Tobias Lindholm, is no ordinary crime thriller. It is a true crime psychological thriller told with a calm, chilling tone, focused on delving into the systemic failure more than the sheer horror of the serial killer.

The Power of Subtlety and Silent Tension

The core strength of the film lies in the performances of its two stars: Jessica Chastain (as Amy Loughren) and Eddie Redmayne (as Charlie Cullen).

Jessica Chastain delivers Amy Loughren as an unlikely hero. Amy is a single mother and a nurse attempting to hide her serious heart condition to keep her job. Her desperation and physical burden elevate the authenticity and tension, making the audience feel the personal price she pays while investigating Charlie.

Eddie Redmayne completely disappears into the role of Charlie Cullen. Instead of portraying a maniacal killer, Redmayne depicts a murderer concealed beneath a facade of kindness and empathy. Charlie’s unsettling serenity and his actions helping Amy make the character doubly dangerous and haunting.

The Slow Burn Narrative and Organizational Failure

The film develops in a slow burn style, focusing on Amy’s gradual discovery of the truth about her close friend. This is a bold decision, as it avoids pandering to the need for rapid-fire action and instead aims to expose the truth about the hospitals.

The true horror of the film is not the murders, but the fact that: Hospitals were aware of Charlie Cullen and his misconduct, yet repeatedly allowed him to move freely between jobs rather than reporting him to authorities, all to protect their reputations and avoid costly lawsuits. “The Good Nurse” is a severe indictment of the callousness and the prioritization of profit over patients’ lives.

Conclusion

“The Good Nurse” is a difficult but essential watch. It is a tense, intense film, a tribute to the courage of Amy Loughren, who risked everything to end the killing spree.

The film is highly recommended for fans of the true crime psychological thriller genre, who seek a cinematic work that is not only shocking but also offers sharp ethical and systemic analysis of modern society.