Netflix 'The Good Nurse': The true story behind the series

Released on September 11, 2022, Netflix’s The Good Nurse became popular among the audiences in its very first week.

The Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain starrer gained a spot on the OTT giant’s top English Language Films List, per The Collider. Directed by Academy-nominated director Tobias Lindholm, the film recorded over 68.31 million hours viewed in the last week of October.

What is the plot of the Netflix movie?

The show is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Charles Graeber, which follows the story of Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne) who turns out to be a serial killer. The series sets its focus on Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain), who develops a close bond with Cullen due to his compassionate and earnest façade.

The show picks up after Charles Cullen joins Somerset Hospital in New Jersey, where he meets Amy, which is the beginning of Cullen’s end. With a long history of being fired from hospitals, his downfall began when his colleague and close friend, Amy, began suspecting his role behind the sudden surge in unexpected deaths.

The true story behind The Good Nurse

The real Amy Loughren worked with Charles Cullen at Somerset hospital, whose name was changed to Parkfield Memorial Hospital for the movie. In real life also, Amy Loughren lived with her two daughters and suffered from cardiomyopathy, a heart disease that makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.

Regarding the bond depicted in the show, Amy reveals on her official website that she was close friends with Cullen, who was a confidant for her. She also shared that she adored him before she discovered his true self.

How does Amy found out about the crimes of Charles Cullen?

A slight deviation happens when it is depicted how Amy found out about Charles’ crimes. In the show, Amy defends Charles in front of the detectives investigating the death of a 77-year-old woman, who was presumably the first victim of Charles at Parkfield.

In the book, Amy becomes suspicious when she finds constant errors in Charles’ charts, his habit of observing other nurses’ patients; and the unusual combinations of drugs that he ordered, given that he worked in the intensive care unit.

Does he confess his crime in the diner scene?

As to how the police found out of Charles Cullen, in the movie Amy helps the detectives by wearing a wire to record his confession. In the movie, the serial killer nurse is persistently thwarting Amy’s attempts to make him confess. He is also shown to go through an emotional turmoil.

In real life, however, Cullen was actually much calmer and composed, revealed the real Amy in an interview with Newsweek. She shared events that compared to the diner scene portrayed in the movie, he was composed. Although Charles did not confess to his crimes both in film and in reality, he did so with relative ease in real life as compared to the tough battle he is shown to fight in the reel version.

What is the sentence given to Charles Cullen?

Charles Cullen is currently serving his 18 consecutive life sentences in New Jersey State Prison. As stated in the film's end, he is not eligible for parole until 2403. Amy lives in Florida with her children and grandchildren and is now pursuing a career as a Reiki master and meditation instructor.