I was waiting for the Netflix movie before writing about this. Now that I've finally seen it, I can definitely recommend it, although it's not the most gripping character drama or thriller. It kind of matches my opinion about the one-dimensional and disjointed book, but the movie has the added benefit of Jessica Chastain's and Eddie Redmayne's outstanding performances. It also focuses more on Charles Cullen's friend, Amy Loughren, and there's not a hint of sensationalism that true crime is often accused of.

I tend to gravitate toward pre-1980s true crime, but this case is one of the few modern ones that caught my attention. Understandably, a serial killer nurse preying on patients by injecting them or their IV bags with insulin and digoxin can make you a bit paranoid, but it's also an interesting story about a clearly mentally unstable man who was able to get away with it for so long. Although he claimed he wanted to save his victims from suffering and dehumanizing treatment, many of them were not terminal, so his motives remain partially a mystery.

What's frustrating is that there was a long chain of people who could have stopped Cullen. Despite suspicions of foul play, he was able to work at several hospitals for 16 years because policies and legislation were inadequate, and the hospitals cared more about their reputation. Five people would have been spared if the last hospital had contacted authorities sooner. Several workers tried to intervene informally and warn each other, but it was ultimately Amy who helped catch him. She's the good nurse, and I hope she has a peaceful life now with her family.