Novocaïne

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.

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.

6/10 STARS - Novocaine was on my list of most anticipated for the year, and I got the chance to watch it in early March for Regal's March 3rd Monday Mystery Movie. It stars Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder and is about a guy who can't feel physical pain/sensations who embarks on a rescue mission after the girl he likes is kidnapped during a bank robbery. There were several things to enjoy about this movie - the premise was interesting and it was comedic to see some of the situations he got himself into during his rescue mission. While I didn't hate this film, I wasn't super in love with it, which surprised me because the trailer made it look pretty fun. Part of the problem is, I think, the casting of Jack Quaid - who seems to play the same type of character in most of his roles - and the writing of the love interest could have probably been improved in ways to make her character a bit more likable. An unnecessary racially divisive line snuck in at the end was nonsensical too. But as a whole, I've seen worse movies, so I don't consider this a waste of my time. Just wish it could have been a bit better. Video review to come shortly.

Nate, also known by his childhood nickname Novocaine, lives with CIPA, a condition that means he cannot feel any pain, but also lives a somewhat quiet life. Things get better for Nate when he meets Sherry, and begins to fall in love with her, unfortunately during a robbery she is kidnapped, he does whatever it takes to get her back.

I can't lie, I was looking forward to this, the storyline really did appeal to me, I love the idea of CIPA being used as a plot device, a nice idea, unfortunately it doesn't quite work.

It's an action thriller come black comedy, the trouble is it doesn't know what it wants to be, and it blurs between daft, violent thriller and lame attempt to copy Die Hard.

The shoot 'em up sequences were so bad, once again we have Police who have issues with aiming guns, it just feels daft, with poor Nate slotted in as some sort of mortal superhero.

Jack Quaid is actually really good, I hate dissing the film because he puts in a good performance, but he's up against it with a weak script and confused narrative.

There are some further positives, the tattoos are immense, I'll say that, truly a work of art and the movie's general pacing is good, it does actually move by quickly, sadly it's all a bit jumbled.

5/10.

"Imagine if "Home Alone" grew up, got a medical condition that made it impervious to pain, and then decided to rescue a kidnapped crush by essentially becoming a human crash test dummy. Jack Quaid is fantastic as he takes every punch, stab, and vehicular impact like a champ, making you wince for him even as he's just shrugging it off. It's a good film for what it is overall. It's gloriously gory and surprisingly sweet. If you like your action with a side of "ouch, that's gotta hurt!" and a healthy dose of dark humor, then this one's for you. An 8/10 for making me feel all the pain so he didn't have to.