The Safdie brothers deliver an adequate time with their 2017 film, Good Time (I feel like the joke was too easy to make, so I had to do something different, ya know?). I was first introduced to the Safdie brothers over break this winter. I saw their most recent film, Uncut Gems (2019) in theaters and was thoroughly surprised by how much I enjoyed it; especially considering how little I knew about it going in. The suspense of the movie kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, cultivating in an intense; upsetting but fulfilling end.
When I heard the Safdie brothers first movie Good Time was recently released on Netflix, and heard it could actually be better than Uncut Gems, I knew I had to check it out. So how was it?
Good Time very much feels like a practice run for Uncut Gems, especially when you take into consideration how far in advance the Safdies planned Uncut Gems. Good Time is similar to Uncut Gems, because the movie has a very intense mood to it throughout. Throughout the film you feel the intensity that Robert Pattinson’s character feels as he dodges the police while looking for his brother. On the topic, Robert Pattinson delivers and excellent performance. It’s apparent that the Safdies are capable of getting excellent performances out of their actors, as demonstrated with Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems.
My biggest issue with the film is the ending. The end of the movie was not a fulfilling as Uncut Gems. I feel like the movie could have been longe, and that there were several loose ends and other characters that could have been wrapped up better. However, overall I would say Good Time was an excellent film, especially considering it was one of the Safdie’s first.
Reel It In 