Film Review: Novocaine

Novocaine
Directors: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
Infrared Pictures, Safehouse Pictures, Circle of Confusion, Domain Pictures
In Theaters: 03.14.25

In recent years, action films have consisted almost entirely of superhero films or slight variations on the bloody revenge thriller. The stunning lack of originality has been genuinely painful for those of us with a weakness for the genre. The wild and wacky Novocaine is not only delightfully original, it’s also largely pain free.

Nathan “Nate” Caine (Jack Quaid, The Boys, Companion) is a cautious assistant bank manager with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), a rare (but real) genetic disorder that prevents him from feeling pain or temperature. Dubbed “Novocaine” by the bullies he went to school with, Nate has lived a carefully controlled and sheltered life in an effort to avoid injury, even going so far as to forgo eating solid foods for fear of biting off his own tongue. The boring days of playing it safe end when Nate meets Sherry (Amber Midthunder, Prey, The Wheel), a charming new bank teller who shakes up his routine. Just as he starts embracing a more spontaneous existence, Sherry is kidnapped during a violent bank robbery. Determined to save her, Nate embarks on a dangerous mission, using his inability to feel pain as an unexpected advantage. As he pushes his limits, he takes on ruthless criminals in a relentless pursuit, putting the villains in a world of hurt that he’s impervious to himself.

Several factors contribute to making Novocaine such a good film, starting with the surprisingly clever and intricate screenplay by Lars Jacobson (Baby Blues, Day of the Dead: Bloodline). The story and situations are firmly and clearly established, and everything is carefully set up without telegraphing key twists or events. The foolishness of Nate’s initial choice to go after the robbers himself is convincingly explained and the fact that he’s stuck with little choices but to keep going even more so as the police mistake him for an accomplice. Jacobson manages to write key exposition into casual dialogue without ever letting it feel forced or talking down to the audience. While the story itself is over the top and frankly ridiculous, the details of Nate’s condition are all quite accurate, right down to the reality of the danger of oral wounds. Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (Villains, Significant Other) keep the pacing tight and the action creative, and there’s a tongue-in-cheek (no pun intended) tone to the whole thing–instantly and wryly established by the use of R.E.M.’s Everybody Hurts under the opening credits that lets us know that no, we’re not expected to take it seriously, we’re just supposed to enjoy the wild ride.  

Perhaps the biggest factor propelling Novocaine to modern classic status is Quaid, who couldn’t be more delightful to watch if he tried. The wrong actor in this role would have killed the whole movie and Quaid’s wiry build and nerdish-ly earnest persona make him a perfect fit. Midthunder compliments Quaid’s performance with a charming, self assured charisma that makes the chemistry between them irresistible and the opening section setting up their romance is so engaging that I was almost disappointed when I realized that the action movie was starting, I was enjoying the romance that much. Jacob Batalon (the MCU Spider-Man trilogy) is also very amusing as Nate’s online gaming buddy, Roscoe, who is pulled into the situation simply because Nate has no one else to call.

Novocaine is shockingly violent, but it’s hilariously funny, wonderfully light-hearted and surprisingly sweet. It’s an energizing breath of fresh air for both the action and romantic comedy genres, and it’s likely to be the most fun you’ll have in a theater during the spring moviegoing season. As far too many other action thrillers in recent years have me feeling numb, a shot of Novocaine is just what I needed. —Patrick Gibbs

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