Film Review: Novocaine

Action comedies are becoming more and more common these days. Genre blending in general is a great way of telling inventive and creative stories, with recent films such as Abigail, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves and Heart Eyes all providing fresh new spins on age old genres. The comedy genre in particular is a hard one to crack, but recently some filmmakers are finding new ways of entertaining audiences. Dan Berk and Robert Olsen are such filmmakers and together they’ve crafted a unique action comedy with Novocaine, a film about a guy who cannot feel pain. Berk and Olsen play around with this concept with a lot of originality and fluidity to make a film that is equally entertaining and thrilling.

Nathan Caine, or Novocaine as was his nickname when he was back at school, is an average guy who works as an Assistant Manager at a Bank. He falls in love with someone at work and soon his life spirals out of control after a bank robbery gone wrong results in the love of his life being taken hostage. His ability to not feel pain comes in handy as Nate goes on a vengeful mission to rescue her. Jack Quaid’s everyman demeanour definitely helps put some relatedness to his character, but he is basically a similar archetypal character similar to Huey from The Boys. Amber Midthunder and Ray Nicholson equally shine in their roles in the films as the damsel in distress and as the villain. All together the cast manage to fit inside this film’s fun and quirky style.

The fun with Novocaine comes with how Nate’s ability gives him an advantage over his enemies. Some fun action sequences included are a booby-trapped house, inside a kitchen, a backdoor tattoo parlour, in the back of an ambulance and many more. These set pieces and action moments stitch together so creatively and organically that you can’t help but smile and enjoy just how bonkers the film is. Yes, the film has some silly and over-the-top moments but that is what you want in a film such as this and luckily there are a lot of moments like that. From smashing glass into Nate’s fists to dunking his hand in a fryer to retrieve a gun, these intense and jaw clenching moments are what makes this film stand out.

The story itself has a fun third act with a few fun twists on the genre. You are left guessing just how Nate will survive this dangerous task of rescuing the girl of his dreams with a very satisfying conclusion. Some choices, like setting the film around Christmas, or having the police a step behind them at every moment feel a little cliché or unnecessary but these are just small little tidbits and they don’t really detract you from the cinematic experience. Overall, the film does a fantastic job of crafting a truly unforgettable experience.

★★★★☆

4/5

Final Verdict:

Novocaine is just another example of a film that manages to capture the perfect balance between action and comedy. The action sequences are stunt work are creative and fun and help bring the film to life. The comedy works exceptionally well in thanks to Jack Quaid’s charming character as well as the witty script. The film is sharp, has some fun twists and has some truly inventive moments that helps make the film stand out above the rest that have come before it. 

Thanks for reading today’s blog!

Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions