Good Time

What it's about:

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 spring his Nick. Over the course of one adrenaline-fuelled night, Connie finds himself racing against the clock to save his brother and himself, knowing that both their lives hang in the balance.

What we thought:

Good Time wasn’t a good time. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a brilliant film but it’s definitely not a casual “fun to watch” experience. 

It’s gritty on like a dirty level. Scuzzy. 

The kind that makes you feel like you want to wash your hands, hair, body after watching it. This in itself is a compliment. Perhaps it’s the tight shots that pull you in, or the realism of everything that’s unfolding in front of you. 

Or. Perhaps. It’s the raw acting that does the trick. Bloody, hell. I never knew Robert Pattinson (as Connie Nikas) could look so unattractive. Ugly even. From his horrid hairstyle to the grime underneath his fingernails - there’s no trace of the glittering vampire that kicked off his career. 

Directed by the Safdie brothers, Josh and Benny, Good Time is a crude reminder that life sometimes sucks and that it’s not always sunshine and roses.

The brothers, who grew up in Queens and Manhattan, are known for their authenticity and hyperreal approach to filmmaking inspired by the turmoil of their youth. Their guerilla-style of filming sees them using real locations and amateur actors to create something that’s so genuine that it leaves you uncomfortable. 

There is a melancholy that hangs over this depressing crime thriller and grips you all the way to very last scene. 

It’s cinema at its ugliest and very best. A filthy masterpiece so powerful that you can’t look away. It’s as mucky as the cinema seats you’re sitting in – enough to make your skin crawl but perfectly comfortable for its purpose. 

Go watch it.