Good Time (2017)

Description

1. Introduction / About the Movie Strap in for a relentless, neon-soaked thrill ride with Good Time (2017), an explosive psychological crime thriller directed by the acclaimed Safdie brothers. This pulsating cinematic journey takes audiences deep into the gritty, unforgiving underbelly of New York City. Praised for its chaotic energy, intense pacing, and a career-defining performance by its lead, the movie operates like a ticking time bomb. It is a masterful exploration of desperation, brotherly love, and the disastrous consequences of impulsive decisions, making it one of the most anxiety-inducing and brilliant indie thrillers of the decade. 2. Movie Storyline (Plot Summary) The plot kicks off with immense tension when Connie Nikas, a manipulative and fast-talking small-time crook, drags his younger, mentally disabled brother Nick into a hastily planned bank robbery. The heist goes catastrophically wrong, and while Connie manages to escape the police, Nick is violently apprehended and sent to a brutal holding facility at Rikers Island. Overwhelmed by guilt and desperate to save his brother from the horrors of prison, Connie embarks on a frantic, adrenaline-fueled odyssey across the nocturnal landscape of Queens, New York. Over the course of one incredibly chaotic and continuously spiraling night, Connie lies, cheats, and forces his way through a series of dangerous encounters with criminals, strangers, and the law. He races against the clock, trying to secure the $10,000 needed to bail Nick out before it's too late. 3. Cast and Characters Robert Pattinson completely sheds his heartthrob image to deliver an electrifying, gritty performance as Connie Nikas, a role that reinvented his acting career. Benny Safdie (co-director) offers a deeply moving and sensitive portrayal of the developmentally disabled brother, Nick. The supporting cast, featuring Buddy Duress as a newly paroled criminal and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Connie’s neurotic girlfriend, perfectly complements the film’s dirty, realistic aesthetic. 4. Movie Highlights Good Time is celebrated for its incredibly tight, suffocating pacing that never lets the viewer breathe. The cinematography by Sean Price Williams uses intense close-ups and neon lighting to create a claustrophobic, hallucinatory vision of New York at night. A massive standout highlight is the mesmerizing, synth-heavy original score composed by Oneohtrix Point Never, which perfectly matches the manic heartbeat of the film and elevates the tension to unbearable heights. 5. Why You Should Watch This Movie If you love high-stakes crime dramas, unpredictable narratives, and movies that keep your heart racing from start to finish, Good Time is an absolute triumph. It offers a raw, unfiltered look at the lengths a person will go to for family. Watch it for Robert Pattinson’s monumental performance and the Safdie brothers' brilliant, chaotic directorial style.