If there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, who are you going to call? Well, when the neighbourhood is the riot-torn city of L.A. where citizens are up in arms after a private utility company cut off their water supply. And the something strange is a bank robbery gone wrong after which the swag-bagging thieves Sherman (Sterling K Brown) and his brother Lev (Bryan Tyree Henry) are in search of urgent medical attention. The person you are going to call is Jean Thomas aka The Nurse (Jodie Foster) who for the last 22 years has run a secret hospital for criminals for reasons which become apparent as the plot by writer and impressive debut feature director Drew Pearce unfolds.

Founded on the guiding principles of “man’s fundamental avarice” and “trust” in which patients are barred from carrying weapons and divulging their reasons for admittance, Jean and her man mountain sidekick Everest (wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista who recently starred in Bladerunner 2049) run a tight ship. But their bow hits an iceberg (or as Jean more colourfully puts it: “Things are going to hell in a hand basketful of blood and shit”) when an injured acquaintance arrives on her doorstep and forces her to break her golden rule of no cops. And the iceberg hits rock bottom when the godfather of L.A. The Wolf King (Jeff Goldblum in a brief but sparkling cameo) and his weak heir to the throne Crosby “Captain Tryhard” Franklin (Zachary Quinto) demand treatment.

Mayhem ensues, pulses are stilled and the anxiety-stricken Jean finds herself in the same sorry state as the title of Buffy S. Marie’s cover of Neil Young’s “Helpless”. One of several well-chosen tracks by Cliff Martinez, former drummer with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers who fittingly peppers the movie with many of his own compositions which like the dialogue is light and wry. For example, when Everest offers to take out one of Jean’s ex-husbands, her response is a deadpan: “He lives in Florida. Life took him out already.”

The casting is spot-on, including Sofia Boutella as the kick-ass ninja warrior Nice and Charlie Day as the annoying pain in the ass Acapulco. And though the finely-crafted and snappy plot lacks tension, scale and a dramatic twist, Jodie Foster illuminates the screen as the “fixer”, providing heart and (for a rare change) humour to an unlikely but likeable hero. So much for retiring from the big screen, as alluded to in her Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech at the 70th Golden Globe Awards in January. “This feels like the end of one era and the beginning of something else,” she said. “Now what? I may never be on this stage. On any stage for that matter. Change — you got to love it.” It would appear, however, that the reverse of the old adage is true: a rest is as good as a change.

Director: Drew Pearce
Writer: Drew Pearce
Stars: Jodie Foster, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista
Peter Callaghan
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