After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine "Connie" Nikas (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through the city's underworld in an increasingly desperate—and dangerous—attempt to get his brother Nick (Benny Safdie) out of jail. Over the course of one adrenalized night, Connie finds himself on a mad descent into violence and mayhem as he races against the clock to save his brother and himself, knowing their lives hang in the balance.
Directed by Benny and Josh Safdie, Good Time is quite the thriller. Similar to the style of Beauty and the Dogs, Good Time mostly takes place over a single night as the main character, Connie (played by Robert Pattinson) pulls out all the stops to try and free his brother from the clutches of the law. His determination to save his brother is literally the only redeeming trait of Connie's personality, and yet our willingness to follow him through the chaos says so much about how well his character (among others) was written.
Connie Nikas is an incredibly destructive individual. Not in a spiteful way, but through his own ignorance. An ideas man that fails to properly think through his plans, his one-track mind and overly selfish nature bring about the downfall of everyone that he interacts with. While he has good intentions, the lengths that he is willing to go constantly brings his morality into question. He commits some serious crimes, but even worse, is willing to cross lines that will undoubtedly make the audience uncomfortable.
Because ultimately, he is a criminal, and he acts like one. There is no moral compass reigning him in. He was in a bad situation, and his actions have him digging his own grave, metaphorically speaking. Even when he is face-to-face with a near-mirror-image of himself, he is unable to recognise the similarities as he carries on, full of delusion. Robert Pattinson does a superb job in his portrayal, and as the film progresses you quickly forget that he is playing a character. It feels incredibly real, and there is a distinct camera style that Josh and Benny Safdie use as directors with a lot of handheld closeups and long takes, which have a great emotional impact with such a competent lead.
You can really feel the chaos that follows Connie around, and it stands out when you compare the opening and closing scenes--where Connie is absent--with the remainder of the film. The soundtrack compounds the manic manner of Connie further with its pulsating electronic score; constantly cycling in on itself and distorting.
The set design and cinematography are brilliant, creating a genuine feeling of grime and dirtiness, as well as a sense of claustrophobia as Connie continually attempts to elude the police. The city landscapes glow with gorgeously vivid neon colours, and the use of wide tracking shots help with the pacing. It does slow a bit in the second act, but then continually escalates towards the climax of the film.
Good Time really provides something different. A genuinely unlikeable person that still manages to keep you riveted to the screen. A story that revolves around a manipulative character with no boundaries, that manages to put forth a story that remains unpredictable from start to finish. Quirky, yet weirdly endearing.