The Shocking True Story Behind 'The Good Nurse'
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True crime junkies have been having a field day when it comes to new shows covering some of the wildest, creepiest, and just down right spine-chilling stories to ever happen. If you've already binge-watched Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story or The Watcher, there's a good chance The Good Nurse will land in your must-watch list when it premieres October 26. The new Netflix film starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne is a patient's worst nightmare, and the gripping new thriller is far from fiction.
Is The Good Nurse Based on a True Story?
The answer is yes.
The Good Nurse is based on the real-life story of a nurse named Amy Loughren who suspects her colleague Charles Cullen of being behind the death of several patients at their hospital. Cullen is suspected to be one of America's most prolific serial killers after it was discovered that he took the lives of nearly 30 patients in New Jersey and Pennsylvania before finally getting caught in 2003.
The film is directed by Tobias Lindholm and was adapted from the 2013 book titled The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber. Unlike previous true-crime series and films, The Good Nurse will turn its focus to Amy's story of getting Charles to confess to his crimes rather than taking a deep dive into his biography. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the filmmaker made it clear that he intended for "[the film to] never offer any knowledge about Charlie that [Amy] doesn't have" to avoid the chance that the audience may identify with Cullen.
Who is Charles Cullen?
Charles "Charlie" Cullen (played by Eddie Redmayne) was born in 1960 in New Jersey. After losing both of his parents at a young age, he enrolled to serve in the US Navy, but was later medically discharged in 1984.
He then attended nursing school and went on to work in several hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for 16 years (1988-2003). During this time, he was fired from at least six medical centers. It is believed that Charles killed nearly 30 people during his career, although some speculate that the number is in the hundreds.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Charles claimed that his crimes were mercy killings and he "thought [he] was helping."
Charles is currently serving 11 consecutive life sentences in prison.
Who is Amy Loughren?
Amy Loughren (played by Jessica Chastain) is a single mom with two kids who works as a nurse at Somerset Medical Center where she met Charles. She considered him a close friend before helping officials bring his heinous crimes to light.
She first became weary of Charles' intentions after noticing his confusing charts that often kept track of other nurse's patients, which was unusual behavior. According to Vanity Fair, it was Amy's 11-year-old daughter who eventually persuaded her to take her concerns about her friend Charles to the authorities.
Amy is now a Reiki Master, hypnotherapist, and energy healer.
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