‘Novocaine’ Review: Jack Quaid Gives Amusing One-Joke Action-Comedy Much-Needed Blast of Stamina

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As the saying goes, you gotta have a gimmick, even when it comes to action movies.

Indeed, the protagonist of the film “Novocaine“, Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s blend of action and comedy, is unique in his inability to feel pain due to his genetic makeup. Portrayed convincingly by Jack Quaid, Nathan Caine stands out as an unusual type of action hero. He may not excel at inflicting pain, but he more than holds his own when it comes to enduring it.

A timid bank assistant manager named Nate, who leads a tranquil life because of the sensitive nature of his health issue – accidental bites could potentially go unnoticed due to lack of sensation – finds himself admiring a new bank teller, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), during work hours. In his spare time, he enjoys virtual gaming sessions with his online friend Roscoe, whom he’s yet to meet face-to-face.

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Nate, a soft-spoken assistant bank manager, lives a peaceful life due to the precarious nature of his health condition – he could unknowingly bite his tongue on solid food – and spends his working days harboring feelings for new colleague Sherry (Amber Midthunder). Outside work, he connects with long-time friend Roscoe through video games, despite never having met him in person.

When Sherry gently nudges him out of his comfort zone and extends an invitation, my life takes a dramatic turn. Our first evening together leaves me smitten beyond words. Unfortunately, the next day, a bandit gang (led by Conrad Kemp, Evan Hengst, and Ray Nicholson, showcasing a hint of Jack’s magnetic charm) storms the bank and abducts Sherry, causing me immense distress.

Following the policemen at the crime scene getting hit, Nate takes off in a patrol car to chase after the thieves personally, driven by his urgent desire to save his fresh love. Simultaneously, two detectives (Betty Gabriel and comedian Matt Walsh) are hot on his tail, harboring suspicions that he was part of the crime from the outset.

In Nate’s daring journey, there often erupts an intense, extreme chaos, sometimes even bordering on violence. Interestingly, his unique condition proves beneficial in these tense situations, particularly when he encounters his adversaries. Swiftly, Nate discovers creative ways to leverage his condition, such as seizing a scorching hot frying pan and using it to attack an astonished opponent during a kitchen brawl.

Without batting an eye, he finds himself in a friend’s hardware store after being wounded in a skirmish. He swiftly grabs some pliers to extract the bullet from his arm, then seals up the wound with superglue, barely flinching. This kind of action is reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone during their action movie peak. However, they seldom smiled and cracked jokes while performing such feats.

Screenwriter Lars Jacobson cleverly uses Nate’s peculiar situation for comedic effect, while filmmakers Berk and Olsen maximize the idea’s visual potential. The abundant fight scenes, which frequently escalate into intense gore, are as thrilling as they are amusing, with one scene, where Nathan gets trapped by a series of devices set up in a bank robber’s house, humorously referencing the film “Home Alone” both visually and verbally.

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Lars Jacobson, the scriptwriter, creatively employs Nate’s condition to bring laughter, while Berk and Olsen, the filmmakers, fully utilize the idea for its visual impact. The many fight scenes, which frequently become excessively violent, are equally entertaining and exhilarating. One particular scene, where Nathan encounters a series of traps in a bank robber’s home, playfully echoes the movie “Home Alone” with both visual gags and witty dialogue.

In a scene that’s guaranteed to make you chuckle, Nathan pretends to be in agony during a torture session at the hands of one of the villains, buying enough time for his pal Roscoe to swoop in and save him. You might find yourself giggling at Nate’s awkward acting, all while turning away to avoid watching his fingernails being ripped out. When Roscoe finally appears, he doesn’t quite live up to the tough-guy image he had boasted about, but with Jacob Batalon, known for his roles in the Tom Holland Spider-Man films, around, it still feels like help is on the way.

The film titled “Novocaine,” sporting REM’s “Everybody Hurts” for its opening credits, could potentially grow tiresome (it appears lengthy at 110 minutes) but is saved by Quaid’s remarkable performance. His charm here rivals the eeriness he displayed in recent work like “Companion.” This young actor demonstrates the budding stardom needed to carry this primarily humorous concept. The initial part of the movie resembles the start of a delightful romantic comedy, with Midthunder providing equal allure. However, if you’ve witnessed her breakout role in “Prey,” you might guess that her character won’t be just another damsel in distress.

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2025-03-08 20:24