A24 A-to-Z: #54. "Good Time" (2017)

Scene from Good Time

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.

Review: "Good Time" is a Powerful and Unnerving Journey Into Moral Chaos

Robert Pattinson

The opening scene of directors Benny and Josh Safdie is a quiet one. With a close-up of mentally challenged man Nick (Benny Safdie), he is being seen by a therapist who is trying to get him to open up. Nick is at first reluctant, but soon learns to shed a tear. As breakthrough is made, a force comes running through the door. It's his brother Connie (Robert Pattinson), who doesn't believe in therapy and believes that Nick is wasting his time. Connie believes that he knows what is right, and that scene transitions into the swirling chaos that is Good Time: a title made ironic in that no character actually has a happy ending. What it does however show is a brilliant character study of how one man's arrogance can find itself clashing with his love in damaging ways over the course of one night, ruining lives when he set out to make his better. It's a powerful film, and one that should officially erase any astigmatism that you have about Pattinson's work in the Twilight franchise. Those who see it won't forget it, as it intensely attacks the soul with contradictory themes and even more stimulating visuals. It may not be the flashiest film of 2017, but it can't help being one of the most intense.