The Good Nurse Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A single mom with a bum ticker befriends a nice guy at work only to discover he’s playing Operation for keeps, and the hospital’s more worried about its Yelp reviews than saving lives.

🍿 The Good Nurse: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Introduction to Amy and Charles

Amy Loughren, a compassionate ICU nurse and single mother with a life-threatening heart condition, struggles with the demanding night shifts. Charlie Cullen, a new nurse, joins her unit, offering much-needed help and friendship. Their bond quickly strengthens as they navigate the stressful environment of the ICU, with Charlie providing support both at work and with Amy’s children.

Suspicious Patient Deaths and Investigation

A series of mysterious patient deaths triggers an internal review, eventually involving detectives Danny Baldwin and Tim Braun. The hospital administration, led by Linda Garran, is uncooperative, prioritizing the hospital’s reputation over transparency. As the detectives investigate Charlie’s background and previous employment, they uncover a pattern of suspicious activity.

Amy’s Discovery and Cooperation

Amy learns about the investigation and the unsettling rumors surrounding Charlie. Torn between her loyalty to her friend and her concern for her patients, she begins to look for clues. Amy discovers evidence of tampering with IV bags and a method Charlie used to obtain unauthorized medications, leading her to suspect his involvement in the patient deaths.

Confrontation and Confession

With mounting evidence, the detectives arrest Charlie. However, without a confession, they risk having to release him. Amy, despite her fear and conflicted emotions, agrees to confront Charlie and persuade him to confess. In a tense and emotional meeting, she appeals to their friendship, ultimately leading him to admit to his crimes.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain): A compassionate and struggling single mother and nurse who risks her life to uncover the truth about her colleague’s deadly actions.
• Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne): A seemingly thoughtful and empathetic nurse who is later revealed to be a serial killer preying on hospital patients.
• Danny Baldwin (Nnamdi Asomugha): One of the determined detectives investigating the mysterious patient deaths, facing hospital obstruction.
• Tim Braun (Noah Emmerich): The other tenacious detective working alongside Baldwin, piecing together the evidence against Cullen.
• Linda Garran (Kim Dickens): The hospital’s risk manager, who prioritizes protecting the hospital’s reputation over uncovering the truth about the patient deaths.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Amy Loughren: “I need you to tell them the truth, Charlie.” – Amy pleads with Charlie to confess to his crimes during a tense interrogation scene.
• Charlie Cullen: “They didn’t stop me.” – Charlie’s chilling response when Amy asks him why he committed the murders, highlighting the systemic failures that allowed him to continue killing.
• Danny Baldwin: “Hospitals don’t like these kind of questions.” – Detective Baldwin explains the difficulty of investigating medical crimes due to hospitals prioritizing their reputation over transparency.
• Amy Loughren: “I thought I knew him.” – Amy expresses her shock and betrayal upon realizing the true nature of her friend and colleague, Charles Cullen.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $30 million
• Domestic Gross: None
• Worldwide Gross: $14,943

💥 The Good Nurse Reviews

Personal Review

I went into ‘The Good Nurse’ expecting a thriller, but I got something much more unsettling. The film does an excellent job portraying systemic failings, and the way hospital admins were more worried about money than morality. It’s a creepy reminder of how easily things can go wrong. Redmayne is chillingly understated, and Chastain is superb. The last scenes where Amy confronts Charles are genuinely gripping and show how hard it must have been for the real Amy to bring him down. A must-watch for true crime fans.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “True crime fans”
  • “Viewers interested in medical dramas”
  • “Those who appreciate strong acting performances”
  • “Audiences who enjoy character-driven stories”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Depiction of patient deaths”
  • “Mature themes”
  • “Disturbing content”
  • “Medical procedures”

Professional Reviews

• Deadline Film + TV: “The Good Nurse features some terrific turns by reliable staples Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne who both feel really at home in their roles. Redmayne is really good as Charlie and while he does capture that coldness you expect during the very few death scenes that are actually on display in the film, the movie looks at Charlie in between those scenes with his genuinely concerned and nurturing attitude he carries towards Amy setting up the tragedy of this situation as the early scenes between him and Chastain almost make you forget for a moment who he is.
• ScreenRant: “The Good Nurse works because of a number of factors. A tight script with a consistent beat, never wavering or faltering, which keeps us going at a slow but deliberate pace through the story. The acting is excellent, with Eddie Raymayne and Jessica Chastain absolutely killing their respective roles. The camera work is creative and engaging, choosing to hold shots for long periods while keeping the focus on the heroes of the story. But probably most of all, this movie works because it very (seemingly) accurately portrays the events and people involved without needing to inject needless Hollywood drama.
• IMDB: “The Good Nurse is an adaptation of the 2013 true crime book, The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber that details serial killer Charles Cullen. The movie doesn’t frame this situation as a thriller and avoids being exploitative with no lingering on death scenes and sidestepping some of the tropes of lesser serial killer films by framing the story as one of systemic buck passing that allowed Charlie to move from hospital to hospital and no action ever taken to prevent him from continuing for fear it would open these hospitals to lawsuits.

Audience Reactions

Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne deliver knockout performances, adding depth to a horrifying true story.: Viewers praised the film’s realistic portrayal of the events, the tension it creates, and the critique of the healthcare industry’s negligence.

Overall Consensus: A gripping drama with excellent performances that exposes the dark side of healthcare, though some found the pace slow.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “The film is based on Charles Graeber’s 2013 book ‘The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder’, detailing the real-life story of serial killer Charles Cullen.”
• “Originally set up at Lionsgate, the rights to the film were eventually picked up by Netflix.”
• “Amy Loughren, the nurse who helped bring Charles Cullen to justice, was a consultant during the making of the film to ensure accuracy and sensitivity.”
• “The director, Tobias Lindholm, is Danish and ‘The Good Nurse’ marks his English-language film debut.”

🖥️ How to Watch The Good Nurse?

The Good Nurse is available to stream on Netflix. While it’s a Netflix exclusive, keep an eye on rental or purchase options on platforms like Prime Video or Apple TV, as these can sometimes become available after the initial streaming window.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed The Good Nurse, you might like these similar films:

• Spotlight (2015): Both films focus on uncovering systemic issues and institutional cover-ups, prioritizing truth over institutional protection.
• Zodiac (2007): Both movies revolve around the hunt for a real-life serial killer and the obsessive dedication of those trying to solve the case.
• Erin Brockovich (2000): Highlights a regular person standing up against a big corporation to expose wrongdoing.
• Prisoners (2013): Shares the suspenseful, dark atmosphere and the morally grey choices made in pursuit of justice and truth.

🛒 The Good Nurse Related Products

• The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder: The gripping true crime book by Charles Graeber that inspired the film. A detailed account of Charles Cullen’s crimes and the investigation that brought him to justice.
• Nurse T-Shirt: A comfortable T-shirt that shows appreciation for nurses.
• Anatomical Heart Model: A detailed anatomical heart model.
• Serial Killer Coloring Book: Serial Killer Coloring Book.

🎧 Soundtrack

The Good Nurse features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Dark Moon” – performed by Bonnie Guitar

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

“I’m A F****ing Useless Nurse” – What Eddie Redmayne Learned Prepping For “The Good Nurse”

Ever wonder how Eddie Redmayne prepared to play a serial killer nurse? He actually tried some nursing tasks himself and, well, let’s just say he’s better off sticking to acting! You have to see his hilarious explanation.

‘The Good Nurse’ Speaks About Her Serial Killer Co-Worker

Want to hear from the *actual* ‘Good Nurse’? Amy Loughren, the real-life hero, shares her chilling story of working alongside a serial killer. It’s crazy to hear her perspective on what happened!

Actress Jessica Chastain and nurse Amy Loughren discuss new true-crime film

It’s fascinating to watch Jessica Chastain and the real Amy Loughren discuss how they worked together to bring this story to life! Get ready for some insightful behind-the-scenes stories.

✨ Rate