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There are a lot of films being made today where the writer and director are hoping that you will buy into one fanciful premise or another. Things you look at and just know, straight from your gut, that it would and could never happen. On the surface Novocaine is one of those films, until you do even the slightest bit of Googling, then you realize, whoa, congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), also known as hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IV, is a very real thing. Suddenly the wild premise for this movie isn’t so wild at all and you begin to wonder… what will they do with this? How far will they take it? What would I do if I couldn’t feel any pain? Luckily we didn’t have to wait very long to find out the kind of sadistic things they were going to put our main character through. It was a ride.
source: Paramount Pictures
The film was written by Lars Jacobson and directed by the team of Dan Berk and Robert Olsen. The story follows Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid, The Boys) as a banker who can feel no pain with a pretty outstanding supporting cast including; Amber Midthunder (Prey), Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Betty Gabriel (Get Out), and as the big bad, Ray Nicholson (Smile 2). It was a fast-paced action/comedy that really doesn’t waste any time getting started and once it’s going, it barely takes a moment to slow down. The film was basically a 90 minute chase scene, and I was here for it.
You Make It (Clap Clap) Hurt So Good
As the film begins we wake up with Nathan (Quaid) and travel around his apartment being shown all of the precautions he’s taken to injury-proof his surroundings. Not being able to feel pain is potentially very dangerous because it is much harder to know when you’re in trouble or accidentally hurt yourself. It seems just like any other day but when he gets to work he ends up hitting it off with his coworker Sherry (Midthunder) in the break room. They go to lunch together and we find out that Nathan has never tried solid food for the fear of accidentally biting off his tongue and she carefully introduces him to cherry pie. He is in love of course, with the pie and with Sherry for showing him it’s okay if he is careful. The following day is filled with him trying all sorts of things and ending with them meeting at an art show. Sparks fly but the following morning at the bank, everything goes wrong. A robbery takes place and Sherry is taken hostage, this sets our blood-soaked story in motion because Nathan will stop at nothing to get Sherry back.
source: Paramount Pictures
Jack Quaid as Nathan is pretty fantastic, he has been putting out one thing after another lately that is just different enough from the last venture to keep us on our toes. He is very believable as a man who has never found love and now, pushed to the edge, will stop at nothing to get it back. It’s a little sad (we feel sad for him) but at the same time, he is so fun to root for. Amber Midthunder as well does an amazing job, playing a character that couldn’t be further from what we saw her do in Prey (until the end of course when those action movie chops came into play), she was a delight. As for the big bad, Ray Nicholson is always on point. He’s been laying down one hit after another and here is no different. We don’t really feel anything for him other than contempt but really that’s okay, he’s the bad guy, and the fact that we hate him is really just a testament to the job he did as an actor, it was great.
Don’t Have To Be So Exciting
The action in this film was completely original and bonkers. To say that it was unique would be an understatement, and no, it didn’t have to be so exciting (thank you John Mellencamp) but it actually was! The directors did a fantastic job of capturing the action and keeping everything moving. They weren’t afraid to take the camera right in there and show us the graphic nature of certain situations either (I’m thinking about you, scene at the end with the wrist and the… well, that’s all I’ll say). Dan Berk and Robert Olsen really had a way of taking an insane concept for a film and not only making it entertaining but keeping us interested through every up and down and twist and turn. I did see the mid-movie plot twist coming from a mile away but it really didn’t matter, it hurt nothing.
Novocaine could have easily fallen into the file of films that were just gory for gory sake, or action packed for action sake, but it never did. The film took everything very seriously and then made it silly and fun. It was a ride that I don’t think a lot of actors or filmmakers could have pulled off and here it was done so nicely. If you like action comedy films that actually have a bit of a story, great action scenes, funny jokes, and a lot of heart, Novocaine is the perfect movie to sit down to with your popcorn and large drink. You’re going to want to pull through the need to visit the restroom though, you won’t want miss a second of the fun.
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