Jessica Chastain Catches Serial Killer in Netflix’s True Crime Drama The Good Nurse

Please subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates from Your Next Shoes. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure for more details.

She’s known for playing strong female characters in feminist-themed movies. And in her latest project, The Good Nurse, Jessica Chastain is portraying real-life nurse Amy Loughren, who bravely aided the detectives in catching prolific serial killer Charles Cullen (played by Eddie Redmayne).

The Good Nurse stars award-winning actors Eddie Redmayne and Jessica ChastainThe Good Nurse stars award-winning actors Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain (Credit: Netflix)

The Good Nurse had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11 and was released in select US theaters on October 19 before its streaming release on October 26 by Netflix.

Jessica Chastain in Carolina Herrera

Last week, Jessica Chastain graced the New York premiere of her new movie held at the Paris Theater in Midtown Manhattan. She was joined by the cast, including Eddie Redmayne, who looked stylish in a deconstructed black suit by Maison Margiela.

His outfit included a patchwork-designed suit jacket, a white shirt underneath, and a pair of loose-fitting trousers.

Eddie Redmayne looks handsome in a Maison Margiela deconstructed suit while Jessica Chastain is sleek in a white mini dress for the New York premiere of The Good Nurse on October 18, 2022Eddie Redmayne looks handsome in a Maison Margiela deconstructed suit while Jessica Chastain is sleek in a white mini dress for the New York premiere of The Good Nurse on October 18, 2022 (Credit: Darla Khazei / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

The 45-year-old actress looked radiant as she put her flawless legs and arms on display in a white mini dress from Carolina Herrera’s Fall 2022 collection.

Designed by Wes Gordon, the sleek whimsical number boasts a one-shoulder design adorned with four oversized bow accents.

It’s cut from silk and features an asymmetric neckline, a slim-fitting A-line silhouette, and an invisible side zip. A pink version of the dress is available for $3,490 at Moda Operandi.

Jessica Chastain flaunts her legs in a white one-shoulder mini dress accented with oversized bows by Carolina HerreraJessica Chastain flaunts her legs in a white one-shoulder mini dress accented with oversized bows by Carolina Herrera (Credit: Darla Khazei / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

The Eyes of Tammy Faye actress skipped the jewelry and showed off her feet in black Stuart Weitzman “Nudist Hollywood” platform sandals, allowing her dress to do the talking.

She styled her long red tresses in waves cascading down her back, and wore soft makeup with fluttery eyelashes, shimmering eyeshadow, and matching pink blush and lip color.

Jessica Chastain styles her red tresses in loose waves and wears shimmering eyeshadow, fluttery lashes, and pink lipstickJessica Chastain styles her red tresses in loose waves and wears shimmering eyeshadow, fluttery lashes, and pink lipstick (Credit: Darla Khazei / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

Jessica Chastain in Gucci

Following the premiere, Chastain had been busy making the rounds on the media circuit to promote her new movie.

She stopped by CBS Mornings on Wednesday, where she was pictured in a black jacquard jumpsuit by Gucci. Designed with the house’s signature double G motif, the jumpsuit features a jacket-like zip-up top with a waist-cinching wide belt and straight-leg pants.

Jessica Chastain promotes The Good Nurse in a Gucci jumpsuit at CBS Mornings on October 19, 2022Jessica Chastain promotes The Good Nurse in a Gucci jumpsuit at CBS Mornings on October 19, 2022 (Credit: ROGER WONG / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

She elevated the sporty look by slipping her feet into a pair of Gianvito Rossi “Dasha” leather platform pumps that you can buy at Farfetch.

Jessica Chastain elevates her sporty Gucci patterned jumpsuit with Gianvito Rossi Dasha platform pumpsJessica Chastain elevates her sporty Gucci patterned jumpsuit with Gianvito Rossi Dasha platform pumps (Credit: ROGER WONG / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

These pumps are set upon 1.5-inch platform soles and 4.5-inch stiletto heels finished with pointed toes.

Gianvito Rossi ‘Dasha’ Platform Pumps, $895 at Mytheresa

A classic style, the Dasha pumps by Gianvito Rossi feature pointed toes and are set upon platform soles and stiletto heelsA classic style, the Dasha pumps by Gianvito Rossi feature pointed toes and are set upon platform soles and stiletto heels

Keeping the look classy, the Molly’s Game actress accessorized with understated jewelry, including a pair of long drop earrings and a statement ring.

Her long auburn tresses tumbled down her back in soft waves, while her features were highlighted with minimal makeup.

She wore shimmering eyeshadow and mascara to accentuate her blue eyes and added a sweep of pink blush on her cheeks and rosy-red gloss on her lips.

Jessica Chastain wears her long auburn tresses down in waves and highlights her features with soft pink makeupJessica Chastain wears her long auburn tresses down in waves and highlights her features with soft pink makeup (Credit: ROGER WONG / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

Jessica Chastain in Victoria Beckham

Later that day, Jessica Chastain was pictured showcasing another sleek look while arriving for a Q&A for The Good Nurse at the DGA Theater.

The Dark Phoenix star was hard not to notice in a green satin dress from Victoria Beckham’s Resort 2023 collection.

It’s a wrap-style jersey dress that drapes over her curves and features cape sleeves, a gathered bodice with a sexy asymmetric neckline, and a cinched-in waist.

Jessica Chastain wows in a green Victoria Beckham wrap dress as she arrives for a Q&A at DGA TheaterJessica Chastain shows how to wear a green Victoria Beckham wrap-style jersey dress with metallic platform sandals as she arrives for a Q&A at DGA Theater on October 19, 2022, in New York City (Credit: Darla Khazei / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

Wearing minimal jewelry, Chastain kept the look effortlessly chic by pairing her midi dress with metallic gold stiletto pumps by Jimmy Choo.

She showed off her feet in the “Max” platform sandals, which featured a thin ankle strap, peep toes, platforms, and stiletto heels.

Jessica Chastain shows off her feet in Jimmy Choo Max metallic platform sandalsJessica Chastain shows off her feet in Jimmy Choo Max metallic platform sandals (Credit: Darla Khazei / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

Is The Good Nurse a True Story?

The Good Nurse is a drama film based on the 2013 true-crime book of the same name by Charles Graeber, available on Amazon.

It tells the true story of Amy Loughren, an ICU nurse who became a confidential informant and helped put a stop to the killing spree of her serial killer colleague, Charles Cullen.

Jessica Chastain is a nurse and single mother suffering from a heart condition in The Good NurseJessica Chastain is a nurse and single mother suffering from a heart condition in The Good Nurse (Credit: Netflix)

Amy is a nurse and single mother suffering from a heart condition. Fortunately, the hospital she’s working at hired Charles Cullen, who starts at her unit. They share late-night shifts together and eventually develop a strong friendship.

However, following a series of unexplainable patient deaths that points to Charlie as the prime suspect, Amy is forced to risk her life to uncover the truth.

Eddie Redmayne turns into a prolific serial killer in The Good NurseEddie Redmayne turns into a prolific serial killer in The Good Nurse (Credit: Netflix)

The Good Nurse Emphasizes Friendship and Humanity

Danish screenwriter and filmmaker Tobias Lindholm admitted that he didn’t want The Good Nurse, his first English-language film, to become a typical true crime film and glamorize the crimes committed; instead, he wanted to focus on friendship and humanity.

“We realized that it wasn’t a story only about the serial killer. It was about a friendship. And it was a proof of humanity,” Lindholm told The Wrap.

Danish director Tobias Lindholm didn't want The Good Nurse to become a typical true crime filmDanish director Tobias Lindholm didn’t want The Good Nurse to become a typical true crime film (Credit: ROGER WONG / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

Jessica Chastain also admitted having “difficulty with true crime stories.” “I like to celebrate what’s so wonderful about humanity, and I find sometimes [true crime stories] can slip into gossipy or something salacious, where, like, you feel dirty after watching some of these shows,” she explained.

“After talking to Tobias and understanding his humanity and knowing the filmmaker he is, I was really excited to explore it.”

“Normally, in media, you see violence stop violence. In our story, it’s the opposite. It’s compassion that stops [violence],” Chastain added.

“It’s stopping and listening and reaching out to another person as a human being and not treating them as a monster. And that, to me, is a really exciting thing to be a part of.”

The Good Nurse cast and director with the real-life ICU nurse Amy LoughrenThe Good Nurse cast and director with the real-life ICU nurse Amy Loughren (Credit: Stuart Hardy / ABACA / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

Eddie Redmayne shared: “There was a level of friendship and compassion that was much more complicated than the normal sort of true crime story.”

“One of the things that was interesting for me, when we met the real Amy and talked to her, was about how gentle, kind, self-deprecating this guy was. He had an amazing capacity to mock himself, and that was often a way that people became close to him. He was almost skinless with his vulnerability.”

Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne Went to Nursing School

To prepare for their roles, Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne went to a nursing school.

“We spent about two weeks in the classroom—and there’s no way of bonding with someone better than being reduced to being back in the classroom,” Redmayne told Entertainment Weekly.

Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain went to a nursing school to prepare themselves for their respective roles in The Good NurseEddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain went to a nursing school to prepare themselves for their respective roles in The Good Nurse (Credit: Doug Peters / PA Images / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

He revealed that he “was always useless at biology and Jessica had a mind that was incredibly capable.”

“I would do these exercises with these dummies that they use to practice CPR, and it would transpire that no one would have survived under my watch.”

“But Jess was quite brilliant. She would turn up to nurse school early, get busy putting these IV lines into these dummies, and it took me a lot more practice. She had more of a natural instinct for it,” he added.

Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne at the 2nd Annual Academy Museum Gala on October 15, 2022Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne at the 2nd Annual Academy Museum Gala on October 15, 2022 (Credit: KOI SOJER / Startraksphoto / Cover Images)

Chastain also shared that she has an “American cowboy mentality where someone shows me something, and I’m like, ‘Yeah, let me try it.’ So I would just jump on in, trying to give a mannequin an IV. And Eddie’s like, ‘Oh, hold on.’”

“And he’s really nervous about it. So what we came to realize after our nursing school in our film is that neither of us would be a good nurse. I might look like it, but, no, I’m not the one you want an IV from.”