Review: The Good Nurse

As we head towards the end of the year, we are starting to see more and more films coming out with ambition of being involved in the major awards season.

Some end up being a genuine contender and some get overlooked Whatever happens, pretty much all of them will get labelled as 'Oscar bait'. For those of you who don't know what this is, those are films that are basically are made for the sole intention to gain nominations by awards voters. They usually consist of particular characteristics such as a lavish production, profound story that is usually based on a true person or event and actors that are awards nominees, winners or are usually part of Oscar winning ensemble casts like Timothee Chalamet or Lucas Hedges.

Being labelled as 'Oscar bait' is not always a bad thing. But the way it is used usually means audiences are going into it with a possibly unfair high expectations.

For this new release, there were a few signs that this film is aiming for awards success. It contains two lead actors that are both Oscar winners, an Oscar nominated writer and a BAFTA nominated director.

All of said achievements did intrigue me to check this out. But it was more the people behind those achievements. Plus, having a Netflix release had me wanting to see if the film could provide me the answers of the distributors going for a streaming release rather than a cinematic one.

This film pretty much depends on our leads Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne and they carry this film well. Chastain might not have given a performance that is up there with Molly's Game or Zero Dark Thirty. But it did exactly what was required. It was a character that was very relatable and easy to root for. As for Redmayne's performance it was subtle but necessary for it to be that way. There is one scene where his character does eventually boil over which was cool to see. But on the whole, it was a quiet performance that fitted the character and situation perfectly for me.

I really liked their chemistry together on-screen and how it developed and changed when new information is introduced. It's probably the films biggest strength.

There's not too much to speak of outside of the performances. The production is fairly satisfactory. It's nice to see a hospital setting as we usually see this environment on TV series rather than films.

The pacing is a fairly slow and quiet one, which might explain the Netflix release.

In other hands, this film could easily be a big awards contender. There are elements that I feel could have been better utilised or parts they could have shot instead of just being put on a title card to help with the story. It might still get a bit of buzz. However, I think it will get lost in the mix.

But the strength in the shock factor of the true story and plot development still makes for a perfectly memorable viewing experience. It's not going to push your emotions to the limit. But it should still leave you captivated by the events and wanting to know more about the true story and have you on the edge particularly in the final act.

Rating: 7/10