By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
This film will certainly not win any awards, but it’s not supposed to, it’s meant as pure dirty fun. “Novocaine” is a violent action comedy with a simplistic storyline and a sadistic sense of humor that turns a clever concept into a funny one-man army routine. Don’t expect too much from the story or character development, and you should have an enjoyable enough time.
Nate Caine (Jack Quaid) lives a very mundane life, working as an assistant bank manager during the day and playing video games at night with Roscoe (Jacob Batalon), whom he’s never physically met but considers him to be his only friend. Loneliness has been a constant companion for Nate until he meets a new bank teller he works with named Sherry (Amber Midthunder). Their torrid night of passion is very special for Nate, because he has a unique condition where he’s unable to feel any physical pain, making it difficult for him to connect with anyone.
When bank robbers storm the branch, taking all the cash from the vault and claiming Sherry as a hostage, Nate takes immediate action. Putting himself in severe danger, Nate, aka “Novocaine,” refuses to back down until he rescues the new love in his life. With no training and the police after him, this misguided action hero is more likely to get himself killed than anything.
Directed by the team of Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, who have previously collaborated on four nondescript, straight-to-streaming feature films, finally find mainstream success with this action romp. The simple-minded, utterly predictable storyline is rescued by the well-written, well-executed comedy. Understanding the pronounced limitations of this screenplay, the two directors wisely turn to its strengths, setting up hilarious situational comedy that enables audience enjoyment and engagement from start to finish. Being that “Novocaine” is an R-rated production, Dan and Robert test those boundaries, incorporating gruesome, stomach-churning injuries that sometimes accentuate the morbid humor.
These two filmmakers use a very basic filmmaking approach with a no-frills cinematography technique, relying on simple jump cuts that leave little to the imagination. The supporting character development is non-existent, relegating them to one-dimensional cookie cutter fodder, especially the villains. Whenever they incorporate scenes to progress the story, the audience is forced to patiently endure as they wait for the next comically violent action sequence.
Jack Quaid is having himself a successful start to 2025, also starring in the hit sci-fi/comedy “Companion” earlier this year. The son of Dennis Quaid is quickly cornering the market on roles where he plays the awkward action hero much like he’s been doing over the course of four seasons of Prime’s hit series, “The Boys.” His nerdy persona along with his lanky physique don’t make him the prototypical action star, but that’s what makes it funny. His reactions and line delivery further enhance this comedy, singlehandedly making this film worthwhile entertainment.
The rest of the supporting cast is fairly weak, even though Jack Nicholson’s son, Ray Nicholson, plays the main antagonist. There’s simply no depth to make his character anything other than a cardboard cutout. The only other performance worth mentioning is by Jacob Batalon, who plays the main character’s gamer friend. Much like he did in the “Spider-Man” movies with Tom Holland, Jacob plays the sidekick character very well, providing his own brand of comedy. There’s a particularly memorable fight scene in a house where he hilariously tries to assist Jack Quaid’s character.
This is simply one of those movies that qualifies as stupid fun. “Novocaine” is meant to be administered directly into the cerebral cortex, numbing all brain activity, yet amplifying sensation in the funny bone. This is a crowd-pleasing action film that will make you laugh repeatedly with its over-the-top antics and a star who exemplifies awkward violence. Just keep expectations low and enjoy the ride.
This movie earns:
