Nathan Nugent

Nathan Nugent’s the kind of editor whose work you don’t even notice, and that’s the magic. He’s got his fingerprints all over some seriously wild, emotional stuff—take Room (2015), for example. That movie? It’s a gut punch, and so much of that is thanks to the way Nugent pieces it together. You’re trapped right there with Ma and Jack, feeling every claustrophobic second, then suddenly you’re out in the world, and it’s dizzying. Only someone with a serious sense of rhythm and timing could pull that off. Then there’s Frank (2014)—honestly, what a trip. Michael Fassbender in a giant papier-mâché head, Domhnall Gleeson navigating the strangest band you’ve ever seen, and all of it cut with this off-kilter, slightly manic energy. Nugent keeps things weird but never messy, letting the story stay just the right amount of unhinged. And Swan Song (2021)? Whole different vibe. That one’s quieter, more meditative. He lets the silences breathe, doesn’t rush a thing, but you still feel every little emotional ripple. People talk about directors and actors all the time, but editors like Nugent are the secret sauce. He’s not flashy about it, but if you look at the credits on movies that make you feel something real—odds are good he’s lurking in there somewhere, sewing it all together. Not a bad legacy, right?