A hidden gem that scored 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
*We know what you’re thinking.*
Why didn’t I go and see Good Time at the cinema when we recommended it six months ago? Well, it made our list of hidden gems that you may have missed during 2017 and having seen it again, we’re confident in saying that as the final credits roll, you’ll never look at Robert Pattinson in the same way.
Much like Ryan Gosling, Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s clear that Pattinson is deliberately moving away from his teen heart-throb status by refusing to be pigeonholed into a certain role.
Rather than ‘play it safe’ with his career choices, Pattinson took a massive gamble with Good Time and it paid off handsomely. Ok, what’s it about?
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine Nikas (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City’s underworld in an increasingly desperate-and dangerous-attempt to get his brother out of jail. Over the course of one adrenalized night, Constantine finds himself on a mad descent into violence and mayhem as he races against the clock to save his brother and himself, knowing their lives hang in the balance.
In terms of its style, imagine a mix of Run Lola Run’s kinetic energy, the ominous atmosphere of Mean Streets where every character and location seems incredibly threatening, and Drive’s thumping synth score.
At present, the film has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 80% on Metacritic.
If that’s not enough to convince you, the film screened at last year’s Cannes film festival where it received a six-minute standing ovation. It has also been nominated for the Palme d’Or and five Independent Spirit Awards – that’s widely regarded as the awards ceremony which honours the most innovative, cutting-edge and bold films.
Here’s what the critics made of it.
Entertainment Weekly – “Plays out like a drug cocktail of Martin Scorsese’s After Hours and a Michael Mann-directed acid trip.”
LA Times – “At once a swift, relentless chase thriller and an exhilarating mood piece that recalls the great, gritty crime dramas of Sidney Lumet and Abel Ferrara, Good Time is also exactly what it says it is: a thrill, a blast, a fast-acting tonic of a movie.”
Chicago Tribune – “Most crime movies, even alleged indies, make it easy for the audience to take sides and establish clear rooting interests. Good Time is better than that: It’s not always easy to take, yet you can’t look away.”
Observer – “Pattinson is utterly convincing as the Manson-eyed Connie, a manipulative force of nature (alternately mesmerising, repugnant and pathetic) who leaves a trail of destruction in his wake.”
Express – “Good Time feels like a throwback to 1970s classics like Mean Streets or Dog Day Afternoon and has a nervous, edgy energy that keeps you on your toes.”
Good Time is now available to watch on Netflix.
*Why, what were you actually thinking? That the star of Twilight couldn’t possibly be in a good film? Yeah, we don’t blame you for that!
