Ben & Josh Safdie's Good Time

​Brothers Bennie and Josh Safdie give us what I believe will be the most refreshing crime thriller of 2017.

Directed and Written by: 

• Ben & Josh Safdie

Cast:

• Robert Pattinson as Connie Nikas
• Ben Safdie as Nick Nikas
• Buddy Duress as Ray
• Taliah Webster as Crystal
• Jennifer Jason Leigh as Corey

Length:

• approx. 99 min

Genre:

• Crime
• Drama

In a nutshell, two brothers botch a bank heist which results with the arrest of the younger. Robert Pattinson desperately seeks a way to get his sibling out. That was the pitch I got from the one preview I caught on my IG feed. Man, was I not prepared for the wicked ride that Good Time has in store.

Pattinson is miles away from the pretty boy vamp image that launched him to stardom.

He's not a pretty boy vampire anymore.

Seems he’s found his niche in the Indie circuit, and in my opinion it’s paying off. Here he gives us a wicked nervy performance as Connie Nikas, a no good vagabond that drags his younger mentally disabled brother into a halfcocked bank heist.

The fall out of the heist unfolds rapidly and snowballs into an increasing series of impulsive crimes driven by nothing more than Connie’s desperation. This thriller takes us through a range of plot twists and emotions that sneak up on you in a way that few films can manage.
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Grainy in its presentation with undertones of Sidney Lumet, this New York based film plays to the beat of Dog Day Afternoon and Scorsese’s Mean Streets. The score which feels nostalgic, plays a big character in Good Time and absolutely fuels the dark energetic environment of the grainy Big Apple.

"Man, was I not prepared for the wicked ride that Good Time has in store."

​The entire cast is well rounded; I should also mention, co-director Bennie Safdie turns out a hell of a performance that had me wondering if he was actually a mentally handicapped actor.

Brothers Bennie and Josh Safdie give us what I believe will be the most refreshing crime thriller of 2017. I cannot wait to enjoy this thrill ride all over again.
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9/10

Written by AJT.

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Related Reviews:

Just like Good Time, Der Nachtmahr (The Nightmare) is an award winning Independent film that's worth seeing.

​Remember that time Ronon's Reviews went to the Kerrang! Awards show? No? Well then, click here and you can read all about the night. 

But if it's heists movies you're loving then we have the perfect one for you: Edgar Wright's Baby Driver.