Female Film Critics 24/375
It made no sense to have Netflix release The Good Nurse in late October, followed by a far-more detailed account of the same serial killer in its own Capturing the Killer Nurse in early November. Based on Charles Graeber’s book The Good Nurse: A True Story of Madness, Medicine, and Murder, both follow the investigation that led to serial killer Charles Cullen’s arrest in 2003.
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Efficient yet gentle, a hospital nurse hooks up an IV bag of medication for an older woman, something to soothe the allergic reaction she’s having. The woman’s spouse nuzzles his head close to hers as her eyes close, resting. So much trust—about the nurse, their skills, and what’s in that bag. That’s ultimately what makes the Netflix crime drama The Good Nurse so unsettling.
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The Good Nurse dramatizes suspenseful, terrifying medical villainy. Films and television series highlight criminal activity in its many incarnations. Of course, nefarious deeds deliver conflict, tension, and suspense as perpetrators are pursued. But there’s an exceptionally unnerving impact with blatant disregard of life when it revolves around intentional medical malice. At least, that’s how I felt throughout the unsettling, masterfully presented The Good Nurse.
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Considering this installment of the Wizarding World sub-franchise was written by Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling and Steve Klovesand and directed by Harry Potter\” veteran David Yates, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is decidedly underwhelming, a dull, Dumble-snore, two-and-a-half hours of murky tedium, making one want to beg the Potterverse to stop making these inferior spin-offs.
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Happily, Warner Brothers and the filmmakers behind Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore have openly flouted ‘Don’t Say Gay’ absurdities with the third installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Right out of the gate, Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gridelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) talk about the love and devotion they once had for each other. No one is hit over the head with it. It was part of the life they once shared. That’s just one of some very adult, and often understated qualities to appreciate in the new film.
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Best known for his sharp, perceptive dialogue, peppered with succinct soliloquies, writer/director Aaron Sorkin has crafted a timely, yet talky tale, utilizing flashbacks and newsreel footage. Free speech and demonstration are interpreted as lawless rioting with the government and its supporters expressing complete faith in the police. Perhaps Sasha Baron-Cohen’s Abbie Hoffman puts it best: “The institutions of government are wonderful things, but right now are populated by some terrible people.”
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Those who did not live through the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1968 or follow coverage of the trial of seven men, the excellent film, The Trial of the Chicago Seven will read as incredible. Just unbelievable. For starters, men accused of being in a conspiracy had never met before that August. For another, a judge appeared to be unqualified at least, viciously loony-tunes at most.
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Some breathtaking events seem absolutely perfect for film, and that is certainly true for The Aeronauts. Set in 1862 England, the suspenseful, thrilling story goes with James Glaisher and Emilia Wren, adventurers determined to advance science and meteorology while also setting a new altitude record for a gas balloon, above 36,000 feet, with no auxiliary, pressurized breathing apparatus.
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Amy Berg’s Janis: Little Girl Blue captures the iconic singers power and vulnerability in a beautiful profile and tribute documentary.
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