Film: Novocaine
Cast: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon,
Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh, Evan Hengst, Conrad Kemp
Director: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
Rating: 2.5/5
Runtime: 110 min.
Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s visceral body horror movie that has screenwriter Lars Jacobson cooking a concoction of superhero action, comedy and romance, is a tale of a man who can’t feel pain.
Obviously then the possibilities of taking the action to untold heights, much more than normally possible, is a given. And that’s exactly what happens here.
Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid, son of actors Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid) is a mild-mannered credit union assistant manager who has a genetic disorder, congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP), that prevents him from feeling pain. So he spends his days being cautious and sticking to a strict routine. He meets Sherry (Amber Midthunder) an employee, the pair connect with each other, and are on the verge of falling in love. Sherry gives him the nickname, “Novocaine.” We also learn of his alarm to remind him to urinate, and his other fears. Just when we see the romance progressing, bank robbers Simon (Ray Nicholson, son of actor Jack Nicholson), Andre (Conrad Kemp), and Ben (Evan Hengst) take Sherry as a hostage and Nathan sets off in hot pursuit looking to track their whereabouts.
Faced with a seemingly impossible task of rescuing his love, Nathan marches into danger, only to encounter extreme violence. The guys who inflict the violence have no understanding of what keeps him upright. This doesn`t mean he is infallible. He could bleed to death from a gunshot or knife wound – the advantage he has though, is that he can survive the pain without flinching,
Nathan is a bumbling stumbling warrior but he has grit and determination and that’s what sees him through. In a dangerous kitchen encounter Nathan is shown dipping his hand into a deep fryer to retrieve a gun, Nathan is also shown navigating his way in a home filled with booby traps with arrows/knives stabbing him over and over- and there are many more such heroic instances that leave him battered, bruised and bloodied, while remaining one step ahead of the cops (Betty Gabriel and Matt Walsh).
Novocaine is a regular action movie with over-the-top fight scenes and endless car chases. It’s basically a gimmicky by-the-numbers action film that feels repetitive. Berk and Olsen though, make their horror experience count. They are able to blend gore, comedy, and action to serve up a dish that though it doesn’t come off as organic, makes brutality its calling card. The fact that Nathan doesn’t react to the pulverising he receives robs the film of dramatic intensity.There’s
plenty of adrenaline-pumping action to make this film different from other hostage dramas.
Quaid as Nathan, a sensitive spirit, is competent enough, there’s stirring chemistry between the two leads and Simon Nicholson adds curiosity value to the production.
Novocaine has thrilling action scenes and also manages to make you laugh. The film may not be the best actioner this year but its an energetic and enjoyable one.
