BPL Movie Review: Good Time

By William Anthony|Collection Management Department, Central Library 

Good Time chronicles one frantic night in New York City where everything goes from bad to worse for a bank robber, Connie Nikas, who tries to get his mentally challenged brother, Nick Nikas, out of jail. 

Click here for a movie trailer of the film. 

Click here for a link to borrow Good Time from BPL.

Robert Pattinson, best known for the Twilight vampire movie series, unleashes his acting prowess as the manipulative Connie who always thinks quickly in order to escape multiple dilemmas that pile upon him and others. He manages to flee from the cops after a bank robbery goes wrong due to a dye pack, but his brother is not so lucky.

Thus, the chaos begins when he attempts to break Nick out of a hospital after a brutal prison fight. Unfortunately, Connie realizes that he broke out the wrong guy whose plans involving a coveted Sprite bottle full of acid derail him from rescuing his brother. 

This movie’s directors, the Safdie brothers, take stressful situations such as a failed bank robbery or an on-foot chase and use its unnerving tension to drive the story. They received overwhelming praise back in 2019 for their brilliant panic attack of a movie, Uncut Gems, which also takes place in New York City. 

If you want another thriller to captivate you, their previous film released in 2017, Good Time, will not disappoint. You feel as if you are by Connie’s side as he sprints down a street from the cops or alongside Nick as he punches an inmate. 

Good Time rarely slows down pace-wise, which kept me on the edge of my seat and gripping my armchair until this movie’s last scene. Within the first few minutes, your heart rate will escalate since the main conflict only causes more setbacks for Connie and Nick. 

Connie’s desperation for a better life just causes more harm for others in the end, especially himself when his fate finally catches up to him. 

Good Time is available to stream on Kanopy and to borrow on DVD in the Jefferson County Library Cooperative, which includes all 18 BPL locations.