We watched the film “The Good Nurse” together one evening, then discussed it 2 weeks later, giving time for any who missed it to catch up. We lived up to our “lively-minded women” reputation when we discussed the film.
The discussion was well initiated by the choice of film, a fine introduction and discussion questions.
Independent film “The Good Nurse” – Many of us found the film interesting, gripping, even enjoyable, though it left some unengaged.
Performances of the 2 lead actors were recognised as excellent.
We learned that Darren Aronofsky, the leader of the production company focuses on showing the psychology of individuals.
We agreed with a Vanity Fair review – “a small and quiet film, is as much about the American economy as it is about an insidiously gentle-seeming angel of death. Bureaucracy and the needs of capitalism regularly took priority over the well-being of patients, the film posits. It casts an angry, doleful gaze at the healthcare system in the United States, so governed by money as to view a killer as more of a liability than a moral outrage that must be stopped.”
We thought that the dramatised film format was quite fitting in cases like this, more so than the documentary form.
We compared with The Post Office Scandal drama which has raised awareness and horrified us.
We were less convinced of the Good Nurse film’s thriller billing. The greyness and markedly tension-directed music sections were rather obvious.
The title was interesting – which was the “good” nurse? Is it ironic? – at first it seems it describes the male’s behaviour, then it becomes clear it can refer to the female.
The mode of killing was clever – murder “at a distance”.
We were curious as to his motivation. To spare people from suffering and dehumanising, especially from Code Blue arrest? “Nobody stopped me” was notable.
Parallels with the real-life story on which the film is based were questioned when we asked whether the confession in the ending was believable.
Plenty of food for thought.
Here’s one question raised – are people born evil?
And another to explore – “If you want to see if someone is a psychopath look at how they treat animals”.