The latest entry in Netflix's extensive roster of true crime films is The Good Nurse, a gripping drama that tells the story of nurse Amy Loughren, who becomes suspicious that her colleague, Charles Cullen, is responsible for the mysterious deaths of dozens of patients and risks her life to uncover the truth.
Starring Academy Award-winning actors Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne, the thriller is based on real-life events. Discover the chilling true story here…
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Is The Good Nurse a true story?
Yes, The Good Nurse is based on the horrific true story of a nurse, Charles Cullen, who was found guilty of murdering 29 people, though is suspected of having killed more than 400, over the course of his 16-year career in New Jersey.
Cullen would use digoxin, which is a medicine used for people suffering from irregular heartbeats or even heart failure, to kill his victims. He would inject a high dose into patients or add lethal doses of insulin and other drugs to their intravenous saline pouches.
Over the course of his career, he would bounce from different medical centers in New Jersey, quitting some jobs after being investigated over allegations of misconduct.
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It was the death of one patient named Florian Gall in 2003 that led to his arrest, however. Florian was a reverend being treated at Somerset Medical Centre in Somerville, New Jersey, and showing signs of improvement until he had a heart attack and died.
Eddie Redmayne as Charles
It was later determined that he had a lethal level of digoxin in his system, and his death was caused by an unauthorised dose of the drug.
After Cullen's arrest, he eventually confessed to 40 murders in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, telling investigators that he committed the crimes to put "very sick" patients out of their misery.
It was Cullen's colleague, Amy Loughren, that helped the police apprehend the killer. The pair became close while working nightshifts at the hospital in New Jersey and after detectives approached Amy about their suspicions of Cullen's behaviour, she began to help with their investigation.
Amy began collecting evidence at the hospital and wore a wire at a meeting with him. She also admitted to manipulating him to try to get him to confess.
Jessica Chastain as Amy
Chatting to Digital Spy in a recent interview, the real Amy Loughren revealed that by watching the drama, she was finally able to "feel proud" of what she did.
"I couldn't forgive myself for the longest time, and the fact that he was harming people right in front of me. I just couldn't let that go," she explained. "And as much of a spiritual journey as I've been on over these 20 years to put that behind me and give it a kind of reasoning. I still couldn't let go of who I was 20 years ago. And [Jessica] allowed me to forgive myself."
Where is Charles Cullen now?
On 2 March 2006, Charles was sentenced to eleven consecutive life sentences and is currently being held at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton. He is not eligible for parole until 2388.
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