Book adaptations keep coming to the big screen, and while The Good Nurse is no exception, it goes beyond a tale written out of ink and paper. This crime thriller unfolds the true story of serial killer Charles Cullen and his horrific modus operandi, as well as the detectives and nurse who helped catch him. Based on the publication of the same name by journalist Charles Graeber, who investigated the case for six years and was himself the only reporter who got to interview Cullen in prison, the film is expected to show the rawest side of these events.
The Good Nurse is brought by Academy Award-nominated director Tobias Lindholm, who is no stranger to the crime genre having directed episodes of Mindhunter and The Investigation, as well as the movies A War and R. The script hails from Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who co-wrote the screenplays for Last Night in Soho and 1917 and served as a staff writer on the hit series Penny Dreadful.
Producers on the film include Academy-Award-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin, and Michael Jackman. Aronofsky and Franklin had previously worked together on several projects including mother!, Jackie, and the upcoming Oscar hopeful The Whale starring Brendan Fraser. Michael Jackman's credits include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Arrival, and Gangs of New York.
The movie was first screened on September 11 at the Toronto Film Festival and had a limited release in theaters on October 19, the film was released on Netflix on October 26, 2022. Before watching, read on to find out who plays who in one of the most shocking true-crime stories in the healthcare industry, and is headlined by two Oscar-winners who are supported by a talented array of names, many you may recognize, and others who are on the rise.
Eddie Redmayne as Charles Cullen
Cullen's doings are nothing short of disturbing. The so-called "Angel of Death" had a 16-year career as a healthcare professional at nine hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, where he took countless lives by injecting patients with lethal amounts of drugs. Currently, serving multiple consecutive life sentences and despite having been involved in the deaths of at least 29 people (although Graeber mentions that it will never be accurately determined how many they were), Cullen claimed his intent was to put them out of their misery -- even when recovery was expected for his victims.
Eddie Redmayne has shined bright time and time again playing real-life characters. He was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award following his performance in The Danish Girl just a year after he took home this same trophy for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Other noteworthy performances of his include My Week with Marilyn, Les Misérables, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and the Fantastic Beasts series of films.
Jessica Chastain as Amy Loughren
We can always trust Jessica Chastain to save the day as she has done in other notable roles before, so it is no surprise that she was given this part. Amy was Cullen's fellow nurse and friend who helped investigate the convict's then-suspected homicides. She obtained and recorded Charles Cullen's confession after asking him to come clean. It was with this information that he was arrested in 2003.
Jessica Chastain has established herself as one of the most sought-after and successful actresses of her generation, demonstrating her great talent in acclaimed projects such as Interstellar, Molly's Game, The Tree of Life, and The Help. Most recently, the film The Eyes of Tammy Faye won her an Oscar for Best Actress, and she was applauded for her work in the series Scenes from a Marriage. She will also soon be seen in the thriller Mothers' Instinct alongside Anne Hathaway.
Kim Dickens as Linda Garran
Kim Dickens will play the manager of the hospital where Cullen and Loughren worked together. At the beginning of the trailer, we can see her introducing Amy Loughren to the detectives who will lead the case. She will also play an important role in proving Charles Cullen's guilt by collaborating with the officers.
The actress is widely recognized for her work on the TV shows Sons of Anarchy, Deadwood, Friday Night Lights, and Fear the Walking Dead. For the latter, she received two nominations for Best Actress on Television by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. She also played a part in Gone Girl.
Noah Emmerich as Officer Braun
When a wave of patient deaths was detected in the area for no apparent reason, two Jersey detectives investigated the phenomenon and discovered that many of them had very high doses of drugs in their systems. One of them was Officer Braun, played by actor Noah Emmerich.
Emmerich earned several nominations for his supporting actor role in The Americans and is also recognized for his performances in Little Children, Super 8, Beautiful Girls, The Spy, and The Truman Show. He will next appear in an episode of the TV miniseries The Big Cigar.
Nnamdi Asomugha as Danny Baldwin
Danny Baldwin was one of the detectives in charge of the case, teaming up with the character played by Emmerich.
Nnamdi Asomugha is better known as a former All-Pro NFL cornerback. His acting track has also been successful, and not only because he was featured in an episode of Friday Night Lights. He is familiar with the crime genre as a recurring character in When the Streetlights Go On and with an acclaimed performance in the movie Crown Heights, for which he received a nomination at the 2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards. He also starred in Sylvie's Love alongside Tessa Thompson and will next be seen in The Knife, a drama he wrote, directed, and stars in.
The cast is vast and includes names such as Deyn McDowell, Alix West Lefler, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Gabe Fazio, Ajay Naidu, Brooke Stacy Mills, Rebecca Watson, Shaun O'Hagan, and Malik Yoba.