Robert Pattinson Gave His Wildest Performance In 2017 (And Now You Can Watch It For Free)
Robert Pattinson became a household name after starring as Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga. After that, the actor spent years trying to shake off his sparkly vampire image. His most successful attempt came with the 2017 crime thriller, Good Time, from directors Josh and Benny Safdie, who were already building a reputation for creating stories that revolved around high-stress situations.
Pattinson plays Connie Nikas, a small-time criminal who spends the entire film trying to get his brother Nick (Benny Safdie) out of police custody after a failed bank robbery. After Connie breaks the wrong person out of jail, he drags several somewhat unwilling people into the situation and is a little surprised when they don't behave the way he expects.
When Good Time (which is streaming for free on Kanopy and Fandango At Home) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the reaction was all about Pattinson. His performance felt far removed from anything he had done before, with the actor adjusting tone mid-sentence and switching from charm to aggression in an instant. His slightly unhinged portrayal of Connie earned him rave reviews from critics.
Variety described his work as "a career high," while The Economist praised Pattinson's Good Time performance for freeing him from the teen heartthrob label, saying it "establishes him as a capable character actor." The Hollywood Reporter heaped on praise as well, calling his portrayal of Connie "his most commanding performance to date."
Pattinson Was Already Reinventing Himself Before 'Good Time'
But Pattinson's performance in Good Time wasn't a fluke. In the years leading up to it, he had already opted to focus on indie films and worked with directors who prioritized character-driven stories instead of blockbusters. His work on 2012's Cosmopolis, in collaboration with David Cronenberg, is probably the clearest early example.
In Cosmopolis, Pattinson plays young billionaire Eric Packer, who is driven across Manhattan in a limousine while his world slowly falls apart. While the movie earned mixed reviews, the actor was praised for his detached portrayal of Eric and his ability to make the character seem flat and somewhat unlikable at various moments in the story.
He followed that with 2014's Maps to the Stars, another Cronenberg film, which examines the dark side of fame. Pattinson's role is smaller, but the film was widely discussed for how cynical it is about celebrity culture, and it reinforced the sense that he was intentionally attaching himself to filmmakers with very specific, but often uncomfortable perspectives.
Across all of these roles, Pattinson got to showcase his range as an actor without the pressure that likely comes with working on projects that are positioned as mainstream blockbusters. So by the time Good Time arrived, his ability to strike the perfect balance between control and volatility was already there. Connie just pushed both of those traits to their limit.
'Good Time’ Became Part Of a Bigger Off-Screen Narrative
In January 2026, Good Time was back in the news for reasons that had very little to do with its original reception. During the awards push for 2025's Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet, reports about alleged questionable incidents connected to the earlier film hit mainstream media with a vengeance.
A report from Vanity Fair claims a 17-year-old girl was cast as a sex worker and filmed opposite an actor who allegedly exposed himself during production. According to the article, Josh Safdie learned about the actress's age only after filming the scene, while his brother Benny Safdie allegedly didn't learn about it until years later. The fallout reportedly contributed to a split between the brothers.
Instead of continuing to make movies together, Josh directed Marty Supreme and Benny directed 2025's The Smashing Machine. The Safdies' filmmaking style was also subsequently criticized since they often use nonprofessional "street-cast" actors to create realism. However, critics argue that this practice can blur professional boundaries and create unsafe environments for actors.
The Good Time incident wasn't a one-off thing either. During the Marty Supreme press tour, Chalamet told People about a tense on-set encounter with an extra during filming. According to the actor, the man got in his face and said, "I was just in jail for 30 years. You really don't want to f**k with me. You don't want to see me angry." Although Chalamet laughed it off, he was clearly unnerved.
