Since Charles Bronson first did shooty-gun fingers, Hollywood has served us many variations on a theme. Old man turns bad-ass, nerd turns bad-ass, character actor turns bad-ass, etc. It succeeds more often than not, judging from the many Death Wish sequels, the current popularity of John Wick, and this week’s release, Novocaine. Filmmaking duo Dan Berk and Robert Olsen certainly enjoy tinkering with genres but, after John Wick, Nobody, Violent Night, and Monkey Man, the subgenre could use something fresh to alter the formula.
Nate Caine (Jack Quaid) is a nervous man. Due to a genetic disorder, he can feel no pain. If he stuck a knife through his hand, he wouldn’t notice. To avoid hospital trips, he lives his life very carefully. He avoids solid foods to keep his tongue intact. If he’s not working at the bank where he’s the assistant manager, he is playing video games online with Roscoe (Jacob Batalon), a friend he’s never met. It’s a sheltered life, but it keeps him safe.
All that goes out the window after Nate meets Sherry (Amber Midthunder), the new teller at work. Their first date goes well, and soon, Nate is eating solid food and going to bars filled with potential hazards. Just as Nate gets comfortable with letting loose, things blow up. Three men dressed as Santa kill the manager and rob Nate’s bank. When the robbery turns into an unexpected kidnapping, Nate watches the love of his life, Sherry, in mortal danger and does what any man would: He steals a cop car and follows them.
The screenplay by Lars Jacobson repeatedly tests the audience’s ability to suspend disbelief. Thanks to Quaid and Midthunder’s natural chemistry, you never doubt his love of Sherry, and his previously sheltered life explains why he would risk his life for a girl who makes him feel alive. Other questions linger far longer. Why, for example, would a bank robber booby trap his whole home? Is he moonlighting as Jigsaw? Either way, the audience is keen to see Nate put his disorder to the test. Betty Gabriel and Matt Walsh are the cops after Nate—and they don’t realize he’s not in on the robbery. Movie cops don’t behave like officers in real life, but Mincy (Gabriel) and Coltraine (Walsh) are so bad at their jobs that you can’t help but wonder if they’re on the take.
Nate is not a natural fighter, but what he lacks in muscle mass, he makes up with insanity. You can’t help but wince as he fishes a gun out of a fryer and uses glass in his knuckles like Wolverine. The premise of an average Joe avenging a loved one needs more oomph to get moviegoers in their seats, so it’s lucky that watching Quaid amp up to Crank levels of mayhem sets Novocaine apart from the litany of average action films. Death Wish and John Wick‘s protagonists got by on technical proficiency and skill. Novocaine relies on Nate’s inability to feel pain and blind luck.
With so much realistic violence (credit to the special effects team) present, laughs can be difficult. If the gore gets too gnarly, the comedy suffers. If the stakes aren’t high enough for Nate, then the audience checks out. Thankfully, the combo of Berk and Olsen deftly balances comedy, action, and romance. Take a scene where one of the robbers catches Nate and tortures him for fun. Before Nate’s caught, the suspense is heightened, but the audience howls at him writhing in pretend agony moments later. “Wow, that hurt,” Nate says through a fake grimace. “That one hurt the most.” The villains are a little generic for my liking, though Simon (Ray Nicholson) makes up for the others. Yes, if that smirk looks familiar, it’s because Ray is Jack Nicholson’s son.
Quaid has made an impression in various supporting roles that recently gave way to roles with more range in Scream and Companion, but Novocaine marks his true transition to leading man status. Adept at playing a high-strung wildcard, Quaid makes Nate so endearing that you really don’t want to see anything bad happen to him. The only real drawback to Novocaine is that for there to be a plot, Quaid and Midthunder have to be separated. Amber Midthunder is a bonafide action lead in her own right, starring in Prey and Legion, so it’s a little surprising watching her play a damsel in distress as long as she does. Midthunder branches out here so well that, hopefully, Hollywood sees fit to let her expand into different genres.
Apart from a sluggish conclusion that manages not to tarnish the overall film, Novocaine is an easy recommendation for a weekend watch.
Novocaine hits theatres on March 14, 2025.
