Although the name may not sound familiar to you, Tobias Lindholm is the screenwriter for movies like ‘The Hunt’ and ‘Another Round’ and series like ‘Borgen’. The Dane was put on the Hollywood radar as a director in ‘A war (A war)’ and is the new signing of Netflix for ‘The angel of Death’its last hit based on a sinister true story.
the good nurse
Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain) is a nurse who has to deal with the harsh conditions of her job, raising her family alone and the first signs of heart disease. Her situation improves when she becomes friends with Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne), the new nurse who arrives at the hospital, also coinciding with the sudden death of several patients in suspicious conditions…
Tobias Lindholm translates into images the script by Krysty Wilson-Cairns (‘Last Night in Soho’) which adapts the homonymous novel by Charles Graeber, in turn based on true events.
In fact, ‘The Angel of Death’ (‘The Good Nurse’) has as its main claim the curiosity that this “inspired by real events” arouses in the viewer, with a plot that could have been perfectly adapted as a true crime docuseries.
The film takes the real case for granted (the title in Spanish is proof of this) and prefers focus the intrigue towards the personal history of the two of them (how will that revelation affect the relationship between Amy and Charlie?) than trying to mislead who is responsible for the deaths.
As an intimate story, the film grows thanks to the good work of Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne. Both do an impeccable, understated job as long-suffering Amy and brooding Charlie, managing to portray a believable friendship even in such rocky circumstances.
The film also has a social aspect since, beyond the obvious threat that Charlie poses, the system stands as a real antagonist. Not only because of how he subjugates the lives of the characters but because, in the end, it was the boards of directors of the different hospitals that Charlie passed through that did not stop him and limited themselves to getting him off their backs to avoid responsibility.
An interesting nuance that is not enough to make it a truly memorable film. Still, thanks for your containment when handling social drama (The same in the hands of Ken Loach could have played the victimhood card in a much more exaggerated way).
‘The angel of Death’ achieves a correct balance between intimate history and social criticism but remains on the verge of going one step further on both fronts. Nonetheless, Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne elevate the ensemble with their fantastic performances and it delivers as entertainment for all those curious to find out about this sinister real case.