A One Mann’s Movies review of “Novocaine” (2025).
Regular readers will know how distainful I am of Marvel movies that create ‘tension’ through one indestructible being bashing hells bells out of another indestructible being. Here the directing partnership of Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (who last delivered the 2022 Oregon woods horror/thriller “Significant Other”) bring us a similar concept: our hero is ‘destructible’ but unable to feel pain. But here the action is played largely for laughs. We’ve been here before of course, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s “Kick Ass” from 2010 and – to a degree – with Ryan Reynold’s “Deadpool“. Will this film meet – for me – those high bars for entertainment value?
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“Novocaine” Plot:
Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) has a genetic condition that prevents him from feeling any pain. Nicknamed “Novocaine” by his bullying school chums, Nate has been brought up by his cosseting parents to fear anything and everything. Even solid food is a no-no for fear of biting his tongue off without realising it. And a 3-hour timer reminds him to go to the loo in case his bladder accidently bursts.
The girl of his dreams, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), a fellow bank employee, is starting to bring him out of his protective shell. But when Sherry is held hostage and driven away during a brutal bank heist, Nate sets out to rescue her.
Certification:
UK:Â 15;Â US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong bloody violence, gore, language”.)
Talent:
Starring: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh, Conrad Kemp, Evan Hengst.
Directed by: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen.
Written by: Lars Jacobson.
Running Time: 1h 50m.
“Novocaine” Summary:
Positives:
- Gruesome comedy body-horror that makes you go “Eughh!” a lot.
- Both Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder again impress, despite the material.
- There’s a nice mid-film twist.
- Good music.
Negatives:
- Good laughs were few and very far between for me.
- A lot of unpleasant bystander deaths.
Review of “Novocaine”:
Things that make you go “Eughh!”.
Some of the violence meted out in this film is seriously gory and occasionally (a finger-nail moment in particular) made me cringe back into my seat. The film does deliver some very innovative ways in which to dispatch the bad guys, with the use of a crossbow bolt being particularly entertaining. There’s also a bit of a throwback in the over-the-top finale to a particular scene in “Deadpool and Wolverine“.
Smile-worthy but failed the 6-laugh test.
But for a comedy film, it really didn’t make me laugh enough. Yes, I smiled a few times and a giggle escaped once or twice. But it failed to pass the 6-laugh test for me. Jacob Batalon appears to be thrown into the mix to create a comedy sidekick. But it is still exactly the same Batalon schtick that we’ve seen in countless other films now and I found it tiresome. (And, no, he doesn’t resemble Jason Momoa, but his face DOES actually resemble Dwayne Johnson’s in close up, which I’ve never noticed before!)
And thriller-wise, it didn’t really particularly thrill either. Nothing in the bank heist or the subsequent chasing around is anything special that we haven’t seen before. There were many murders of innocent people – notably police officers and ambulence crews – that for some reason felt quite distateful to me here, probably because it was a bit stark against the comedic tone. And, sorry, but I’m unconvinced that – pain or no pain – Nate could survive all of the mayhem meted out on his body.
However, I will praise a nice twist to the story, about 45 minutes in, which I didn’t see coming.
Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder are having a good year.
The two leads make for a personable couple and both deliver good performances. They’ve both been busy this year, and it’s only March! Quaid was in last month’s hit “Companion” and Midthunder is still in cinemas as the hit-woman in “Opus“. If successful enough, it would be good to see the pair again in a sequel.
Good action music.
On a final note (no pun intended) I enjoyed the music score by Lorne Balfe and Andrew Kawczynski and stayed through the end titles to listen to it.
Summary Thoughts on “Novocaine”
For me, this was an OK cinema outing. I wasn’t bored, but I wasn’t delighted either.
But by pure coincidence, I walked into my showing in Hampshire at the identical moment that my daughter Jenn (#susiesecondhand) walked into her showing in Surrey. Whereas I was a bit ho-hum about it, Jenn loved it. This was our WhatsApp discussion:
So we clearly have differing view on this one!! Please let me know through the comments whether you are in my camp or Jenn’s!
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Novocaine”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PyOIlJEdqA.
Subscribe
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to One Mann’s Movies to receive future reviews by email right here. No salesman will call!
