There’s no pain for the main character in this film and there’s no pain for the audience either, because this one is quite enjoyable..
Jack Quaid stars in “Novocaine” as assistant bank manager, Nathan Caine. On top of being rather mild mannered and introverted, he also lives with congenital insensitivity to pain, meaning he can get hurt, but not feel a thing. Internally, though, he does feel attraction to one of his co-workers, Sherry.
After finally going out on a date with her (Amber Midthunder), things seem to be looking up. That is until the bank he works at is robbed and Sherry is abducted. On a quest to get her back, Caine uses his inability to feel pain to fight back against those behind the heist.
Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, as well as writer Lars Jacobson, may not have a bevy of experience when it comes to creating major motion pictures, but their new action comedy can hang with the best of them. “Novocaine” is an adrenaline-filled flick that is enjoyable for fans of the genre from start to finish.
It’s not only entertaining, funny and even a bit gross, but there’s also a passion around the whole production. The creative team here really committed to the feel no pain bit and were driven to get as much out of it as possible, resulting in a wild cinematic experience with a lot of personality.
It’s clear this wasn’t just a run of the mill action flick, but one that a lot of care and appreciation went into. It’s a movie that something that uses familiar tropes, while offering audiences something fun and fresh. In a way, it’s reminiscent of 2021’s “Nobody” as an action comedy with not only a fun idea, but the execution to back it up.
That’s not to say the film is an action masterpiece. There are a few generic elements here and there, plus the simple A-to-B plot doesn’t offer much intrigue, and especially doesn’t warrant the runtime which could be trimmed down a bit. But, the movie delivers the goods in terms of laughs and combat, which is what we pay to see.
The film also benefits from its lead, Quaid, who is really charming and endearing as a timid man who finds his drive, or overdrive in this case. What really works about Caine is that while he is milquetoast, it’s not played up to a high degree. It also makes sense in the film’s context, too, considering his background.
The supporting cast is quite enjoyable, too. Amber Midthunder makes for an endearing love interest and later hostage, while Ray Nicholson is threatening but somewhat comical. There are also a pair of fun detectives who play into the buddy cop tropes with a solid level of self-awareness.
Most importantly, the film’s action is quite well done. It does not shy away from using its concept to its full effect in the fight scenes. This is especially true when Caine has to fight a goon in the middle of a restaurant kitchen.
These really make the movie, adding a gnarly factor to each fight. There’s a good amount of creativity at play. Some of it is a little hard to stomach, but in the end, it gives the movie a true action identity.
“Novocaine” succeeds as an action comedy, with brutal fights that are a blast to watch unfold and a main character an audience can find themselves really rooting for. It’s a solid action flick that works on a lot of levels. 4 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
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