Nurse 3D. Oh, where to begin with Nurse 3D? Let’s go ahead and quote the statistic that opens the movie. During the last 30 years, the F.B.I. has documented that more murders have occurred within the health care profession than any other profession. It has also produced the greatest number of known serial killers. Enter Abby Russell who’s first line of dialogue is, “My name is Abigail Russell and I look like a slut.” Played by Paz de la Huerta with a strangely lethargic intensity, Abby has some extremely rigid ideas about how philandering husbands should be dealt with. She has taken it upon herself to rid the world of cheating men while also falling in crazy love with her nursing protege, Danni.
Abby’s appearance is such a strange dichotomy; her wardrobe is very sexy, leaving little to nothing to the imagination, yet her hair is worn in an extremely matronly Gibson updo. She wears her lipstick so it’s impossible to not focus on her lips, but she wears no other makeup. The way she walks, the way she talks, even the way she gazes upon people screams sex, but she only sees sex as a tool to manipulate and punish people.
Nurse 3D is a bit of Fatal Attraction, a dash of Single White Female and loads of Showgirls classiness. de la Huerta’s performance is awe inspiring and hard to watch all at the same time. She clearly went to the Elizabeth Berkley school of acting. You thought Paz’s performance on Boardwalk Empire was wackadoo, well you haven’t seen anything yet.
Abby has a seriously crazy backstory, an unhealthy obsession with Danni (Katrina Bowden) and a healthy blood lust. Killing people gratifies Abby sexually;the bloodier the better. This woman slices femoral arteries, drugs people and then photographs herself having sex with them, stages car accidents, and goes on a gory, jealousy fueled killing spree. There is an especially delicious scene between Abby and Judd Nelson where she tortures and amputates appendages while wearing only a bra. The craziest part of all of this, is that Paz is taking this role especially seriously. This is, truly, one of the more bizarre performances I have seen in a long time. It’s hypnotizing.
Nurse 3D is a lot like a train wreck; I cannot believe what I’m seeing, I might be shocked, but I definitely cannot look away.
