Good Time – An Emotional Crushing Time

Do not believe what you hear from online news articles. Robert Pattinson does not sexually stimulate a dog in the Safdie brothers latest effort – but if he did, it wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the entire film. The ironically titled “Good Time is, in fact, not a good time. It is one of the most emotionally testing films I have seen in recent memory and in quite a few moments it is truly hard to watch. Although this in no way meant as a complaint against the film. I speak no hyperbole when I say that Good Time is one of the very best 2017 has to offer (so far).

Synopsis: After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine “Connie” Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through the city’s underworld in an increasingly desperate–and dangerous–attempt to get his brother Nick out of jail. Over the course of one adrenalized night, Connie 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. (a24)

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, and Taliah Webster

Writers: Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie

Directors: Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie

Rating: 14A (Canada)/R (United States)

Running Time: 100mins

Trailer: 

For showtimes and more, check out Good Time on movietimes.com.

Robert Pattinson has slowly but surely proven that he can act. He has shown a good amount of his chops in films such as Maps to the Stars and The Lost City of Z but we have never seen him quite in the light we do here. His performance is absolutely haunting (This is the first time I have seen him truly get into a character and I loved every second of it). All things considered, you should not be rooting for his character due to the fact that he is the one that got his brother into this mess in the first place. However, the combination of the Safdie brothers’ intimate direction and the layers in Pattinson’s performance lead to you rooting for the character anyways, when you really shouldn’t be… Or should you?

The Safdie brothers put together a non-stop adrenaline rush, (I hate using the m-word but) something of a modern day masterpiece if you will. The film puts you right in the moment and never lets you breathe, it fits in enough character development/exposition to get you involved and then “shotguns” you into the narrative. The brothers instantly make it known that their film isn’t going to be for the faint of heart even before the title card shows up on screen. Not only that but they acknowledge the tone, style, score and the intense relationship between the two. The brothers only let you in on what they want you to know, the rest is irrelevant. The two are not afraid to introduce more characters/side plots into the narrative, but the film never forgets about the main objective (and do not worry, not only do these side-plots all feel incredibly relevant due to their impact on the narrative, but they are also just as interesting as the main story).

There’s only one thing that could have added to the incredibly eerie but authentic world the Safdie brothers have created and further complimented Pattinson’s exceptional performances, and that is a pulsing synth score from none other than experimental-techno powerhouse “Oneohtrix Point Never”. The man himself delivers a haunting score that fits the film’s tone and aesthetic perfectly. Even when you’re listening to it out of context, you can instantly recall the scene of tension the song goes along to or just the films breakneck pace in general.

Good Time is absolutely insane, I cannot describe how perfect this film is. Not only does it succeed at being an intense crime thriller, it also succeeds at holding a mirror up to society on a few occasions. It’s like an ice-cream sundae – if the ice-cream was edge-of-your-seat thrills, the chocolate sauce was dark comedy and the cherry on top was the aesthetically pleasing color pallet. You all need this movie in your lives, preferably sooner than later due to the fact that this needs to make money so the Safdie Brothers can keep making phenomenal films. Go see it as soon as possible!

Rating: 10/10

You can check me out on Twitter @BenScanga for more reviews!

Guest Writer