Novocaine

A dark comedy that might not be everyone's cup of tea. If you're able to suspend belief and just go with the absurdity of the situations, Novocaine delivers a decent amount of entertainment.

The pacing is strong, with the film keeping a brisk pace that never lingers too long on one thing. It's filled with bizarre twists that are often more laughable than believable, but that's part of its fun. The performances are engaging in a way that helps you overlook the more painful elements.

Ultimately, if you're in the mood for something offbeat with a good pace and a laughable yet strangely compelling plot, Novocaine might be worth checking out. Just don't expect anything too grounded or serious.

The concept is great, but it gets old quickly. It's what happens when you have a good concept but poor execution, bad story, and boring action sequences. They could've done so much with it, but it just doesn't really deliver both from the comedic standpoint and action standpoint.

Compare to movies of similar genre of action comedy like Nobody, this film just seems very generic, cliche, and incoherent. It gets worse as it goes, the beginning was actually quite good. By the ending it was just a mess, multiple fake endings making you wish each time it would just end already.

The characters and story inconsistency makes it really hard to follow or believe.

4/10.

If Novocaine wasn't so extremely violent and incredibly bloody, I would call it 'lighthearted': it's frivolous, humorous, a touch romantic and often ridiculous. And it's also quite a lot of fun.

Jack Quaid stars as assistant bank manager Nathan 'Novocaine' Caine, who, thanks to a rare genetic disorder, is unable to feel physical pain. When armed criminals rob the bank, taking Nate's new girlfriend Sherry (Amber Midthunder) hostage, he attempts to track down the gang and rescue the girl.

The film's gimmick - that mild-mannered Nathan can be shot, burnt, beaten and broken and not feel the effect - makes for a very entertaining action film, even if, truth be told, the humour doesn't always land. One might expect the novelty to quickly wear off, but writer Lars Jacobson manages to keep it from becoming stale, finding plenty of new and creative ways to inflict damage on his central character.

If you've caught the trailer, which revealed far too much, the impact of certain scenes will probably be diminished, but there is at least one major twist, which they thankfully didn't give away in the previews, that adds an extra level of interest to the story.

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for opening with Everybody Hurts by R. E. M. (although Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb would have worked as well).

Novocaine meaningfully shows the extent you would go to save who you care about. It's filled with hopes, amid lots of action that could easily annihilate the underdog at any moment. There's some romance, more violence, and much more audience concern for the wellbeing of the intended rescuer. As part of displaying heartless crime, be forewarned that Novacaine lacks positive humor. The twists and reveals are nicely unpredictable, though.

Best seen with others for how many challenges and opportunities are dramatized. It's less about guessing what's next, and more about relating and somehow surviving, with the main character's hopes and standards intact.

Nate (Jack Quaid) is a mild-mannered bank employee with a genetic disorder. He can feel no pain. It sounds like a superpower, but the problem is that he can seriously injure himself without realising the fact. As a result he leads an extremely risk-averse life. All sharp edges in his home are padded, he avoids solid food for fear of biting his tongue in half, and he sets an alarm on his watch to remind him to go to the bathroom, because his bladder might burst if he forgets.

As a result, he lives a rather lonely life, playing video games with a friend he's never met face to face. That's until he falls for fellow employee Sherry (Amber Midthunder). Maybe things are looking up?

Then the bank is held up by three armed raiders, who get away with a lot of money plus a hostage - Sherry. Nate gives chase - leading him into a series of perils and adventures. He's not helped by the fact that the police aren't sure which side he's on.

The result is stupid (in a good way) but great fun, as Nate receives a series of increasingly-bizarre injuries without them slowing him down at all. There are enough twists to make things interesting, and enough comedy to make this film an enjoyable watch.