Thrilling, manic, exhilarating. Those three words sum up one of the most surprising films I have seen in the last few years. Good Time, directed by the Safdie Brothers, follows the story of Constantine “Connie” Nikas (played by an inspired Robert Pattinson, who deserves at least an Oscar Nomination for his mesmerising performance), trying to save and make things right with his mentally challenged brother Nick (played by Ben Safdie) after a botched bank robbery lands the younger brother Nick in prison. The film follows Connie’s incompetent and desperate attempts to find solutions to the problem he caused in the first place. The time frame is one night, set in a dark, mysterious and dangerous New York.
The casting of Robert Pattinson in the film is an interesting story. The Safdie Brothers weren’t really familiar with the Twilight Series, and didn’t really see him in much before The Safdie Brothers cast him. And it was an enthusiastic email from Robert about his strong desire to work with the brothers that landed him the role. The Safdie Brothers usually ‘street cast’ their actors, and Robert wanted exactly that perception of him. He completely transformed himself into a rugged, young, tense man who is desperately trying to make things right after a massive mess up. An incredible performance deserving of all praise in the world.
The brutal realism of this film is what makes it such a trip. It’s fast paced, electric and never skips a beat. Oneohtrix Point Never’s soundtrack brings so much life to an already thrilling film, with high-energy electronic compositions that are incredibly dense, energetic and manic. It reminds me of the Stranger Things Season 1 Soundtrack, just amplified to 100. A perfectly fitting score to a crazy film, which also saw Daniel Lopatin win the Soundtrack Award at the Cannes Film festival last year. It being released by Warp Records makes perfect sense, and I just hope to see Oneohtrix Point Never score again in the future.
The Safdie Brothers completely blew me away with their third feature film, which makes me want to check out their first two feature films Daddy Longlegs (2009) and Heaven Knows What (2014).
Watch the trailer for Good Time below. The film is now available on Netflix.
Listen to the Good Time Soundtrack on Apple Music below by clicking the album artwork.
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