Good Time (2017)

Good Time was the world's introduction to the Safdie Bros. It helped tremendously to see Uncut Gems first before seeing this. It helped to amplify this film's strengths, and even its flaws. Like UG, Good Time is a never-ending adrenaline rush. The first 30 minutes alone are absolutely heart pounding. If ever you wanted to be a small-time criminal, Good Time will give you second thoughts. Connie and Nick are an explosive crime duo. The chemistry that Pattinson and Sadie have with each other is undeniable. Which left me puzzled when the last half of the film only features Pattinson's character Connie. After what is a mind-blowingly good reveal (in which Connie accidentally kidnaps someone who he thought was his injured brother), the story focuses primarily on Connie's long and excruciatingly elongated rescue mission. His brother, Nick, is left to the wayside. With the amount of character development and attachment that we already established with Nick, he nary makes an appearance until the last few minutes of the film. We lose so much time to see his side of the story. Had all of those loose ends been tied, this film would have gone from good to masterpiece-level great. Regardless, Good Time and Uncut Gems have respectively made the Safdies into street icons and the premier New York filmmakers of the new decade. Whatever they make next, drop what you're doing and see it. 4 out of 5 stars.