Novocaine
Directed by Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
- action
- comedy
- thriller
The story
When the girl of his dreams is kidnapped, everyman Nate turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected strength in his fight to get her back.
What it’s like
Bright, flat suburban daylight gives way to sterile bank interiors, fluorescent-lit corridors and sun-washed parking lots, all shot in clean, fast-cut action sequences with a handheld snap during the fight scenes. The palette runs cool and clinical, with bursts of saturated red when the violence lands, and the score leans on driving synth and jabbing percussion that keeps the energy up. The vibe is brisk, deadpan and cheerfully rough: a comedy thriller with a dark, gleeful streak, best for a Friday night with friends or a lighter action craving. Pacing is quick and punchy, and the tone stays wry even as things escalate, with an everyman hero who is more bewildered than heroic, gradually finding nerve and a sense of purpose. The violence is frequent and bloody, with gunfire, stabbings and graphic injuries played for shock and laughs rather than dread, and there is crude language and some sexual innuendo. It suits viewers who enjoy irreverent action-comedy with a lot of blood and no interest in anything gentle.
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