It’s not often that you get a movie willing to throw itself headfirst into tonal chaos, but Novocaine makes the leap without hesitation. What starts as a quirky romantic comedy about an awkward, well-meaning bank insurance worker quickly shifts gears into a high-stakes action flick, leaving audiences to determine for themselves whether the balance between gory mayhem and cutesy humor is impressive or just clumsy.
Nathan Caine (played by Jack Quaid) works a quiet, unassuming job at a bank, where he crunches numbers and occasionally bends the rules just enough to keep struggling customers from losing their homes. He’s a good guy, if a little passive, going through life as safely as possible - which makes sense given that he has CIPA, a rare condition that prevents him from feeling pain, temperature, or solid textures. He lives on smoothies and careful routines, sheltered his whole life by well-meaning but overprotective parents.
Enter Sherry (Amber Midthunder), a vibrant, effortlessly charming coworker who catches Nathan’s eye and, naturally, shakes up his world. Midthunder (Prey, Legion) brings a natural likability to Sherry, making her the kind of character you want to root for even if she’s mostly here to push Nathan into breaking out of his comfort zone. The movie finds its footing in their budding romance, their chemistry carrying the early parts of the film. There are a few awkwardly cringeworthy moments, particularly in a bar scene where they turn the tables on a local bully, but the movie coasts by on the strength of their dynamic.
Then, just when you think you’ve settled into a sweet, slightly offbeat romcom, Novocaine swings hard into crime-thriller territory. The bank gets aggressively robbed. Someone is murdered. Sherry is kidnapped. Nathan, concussed and in shock, does the only sensible thing: he immediately steals a police car and a gun, launching himself headfirst into a reckless, self-destructive mission to get her back.
From here, Novocaine leans into the action movie beats with mixed results. The villains are stock characters at best, with one particularly aggravating goon (played by Ray Nicholson) doing little more than sneer and rack up a body count for no discernible reason. The film’s attempts at quippy dialogue fall painfully flat, a reminder that far too many modern movie quips often suck the energy out of a scene rather than enhance it. Jacob Batalan’s (Spider-Man) role as Nathan’s only friend Roscoe is particularly thankless, offering little more than disposable one-liners that fall flat more than they elicit any chuckles.
Impressively, while the violence is surprisingly gruesome - earning some genuine winces - the film at least commits to keeping Nathan’s injuries consistent. When his right hand gets deep-fried early on, the consequences linger, and the film avoids the usual action movie magic of characters shaking off mortal wounds in time for the next set piece.
Unfortunately, the film doesn’t always manage to balance its two tones successfully. The transition from romcom to violent action is certainly jarring, but not always in a way that feels intentional. There’s an unconvincing car chase early on that undercuts the tension, and the music cues - meant to heighten drama - come off as unintentionally funny thanks to their obviousness.
That being said, there are certainly still elements that work. Nathan’s fear of living life to the fullest isn’t unfounded - his condition means that even minor injuries could prove fatal if he doesn’t realize he’s hurt. The film acknowledges this, making his desperation feel earned even as the movie gets increasingly ridiculous. Quaid (Companion, The Boys, Scream) does solid work in the lead role, capturing Nathan’s discomfort, panic, and reckless determination with a grounded and engaging performance.
But is Novocaine actually good? That’s the real question. It’s frustrating, sometimes embarrassing, and filled with choices that don’t always land. The bones of a great movie are in here somewhere, buried under mid-tier execution and some sterile creative decisions. Midthunder brings strong energy to the project but is quickly sidelined. Quaid is committed to the sheer audacity of the premise, but is held back from a script that doesn’t embrace it enough.
Filmmaking duo Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (Villains, Significant Other) have proven their talents for directing interesting genre affairs in the past, and Novocaine is no exception to that. It’s nice to see them receive their biggest platform yet, and it’s obvious that they’ve had fun with it, but it still feels like genuine greatness is waiting around the corner for these two filmmakers.
For now, Novocaine delivers some wildly violent fun thanks to its unique concept, but ultimately falls short of its cinematic potential. A solid enough popcorn movie, but like its titular hero, most moviegoers will likely be feeling a bit numb by its end.
’Novocaine’ is now playing in theaters.
