When the first Nobody hit theaters in 2021, it arrived with the novelty of Bob Odenkirk leading a full-throttle action vehicle. Directed by Ilya Naishuller (Hardcore Henry) and written by John Wick scribe Derek Kolstad, it combined crunchy, 87North-produced fight choreography with the unlikely presence of Odenkirk - best known then for his sharp-tongued wit and dramatic turns in Better Call Saul - in the role of Hutch Mansell, a mild-mannered suburban dad with a dangerous past. The result was a scrappy, violent, and occasionally sly takedown (or indulgence) of the male power fantasy. It wasn’t without its problems - its flirtation with deeper themes never really went anywhere - but the film understood its own hook and delivered enough inventive, bloody spectacle to earn itself sequel potential.
That sequel is now here, with Indonesian action stylist Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us) stepping in for Naishuller while Kolstad still holds writing credit. On paper, that’s an exciting swap. Tjahjanto’s work in his home country has often delivered a mix of cleanly staged mayhem and grimy ultraviolence. But Nobody 2 turns out to be a frustratingly flat follow-up, one that seems to forget what worked the first time around and doubles down on the weakest aspects. It’s shorter, lighter, and somehow less engaging, even when it brings the whole Mansell family along for the ride.
This time, Hutch isn’t facing down the Russian mob, he’s just trying to wrangle a family summer vacation. Since the events of the first film, he’s gone back to a relatively quiet life with his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), their kids, his brother Harry (RZA), and patriarch David (Christopher Lloyd). But the scars are still there - physically, emotionally, and in the way Hutch can’t quite let go of his debt to the shadowy syndicate that occasionally hires him for messy work. Even a high-body-count job barely puts a dent in what he owes, and what he really wants is a break. Not just from killing, but from the growing distance in his family.
His solution is a trip to Plummerville, an oceanside resort and water park that’s “the tropics mixed with Europe,” or so Hutch fondly recalls from childhood summers with Harry. The problem is, nobody else in the family shares the nostalgia. The trip almost immediately goes sideways, both in the usual “dad oversold the vacation” way and in a more lethal way once they attract the attention of the local corrupt police and a new crop of criminal underworld bosses. Before long, the familiar pattern sets in: Hutch tries to avoid violence, gets pulled into it anyway, and we’re off to the races.
There’s a potentially fun twist in how much more Nobody 2 involves the whole family. Becca gets more screen time and a few perspectives of her own; there are nods to how Hutch’s son Brady (Gage Munroe) is maybe a little too inspired by his dad’s violent outbursts; and the film sprinkles in moments of genuine domestic awkwardness between the bullets. Unfortunately, these touches feel more like faint sketches than fully realized ideas. Lloyd and RZA - two of the first film’s scene-stealing presences - are sidelined even more this time, which is strange given this film’s emphasis on family and how much charm they brought to the original’s back half.
The action itself is perfectly serviceable. There’s an inspired set piece in which Hutch goes up against the Plummerville PD aboard a duck boat, scored cheekily to a jazzy rendition of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” It’s playful, chaotic, and shows glimpses of what Tjahjanto can do when he lets loose. But outside of that, Nobody 2 lacks the hooky, brutal inventiveness of the first film’s bus brawl or explosive climax. The fight scenes are competent without ever becoming memorable, a problem made worse by the fact that this sequel leans even more heavily on undercooked underworld lore to raise the stakes.
Sharon Stone shows up as a crime boss with a tiny dog, a vicious streak, and a penchant for chewing the scenery. She’s intimidating, but she’s also operating in a completely different tonal register than the rest of the film - dancing, swearing, and strutting as if she’s wandered in from a campier, more self-aware action comedy. John Ortiz fares better as Wyatt, a fellow family man caught up in the wrong side of the resort’s power games, but even his inevitable arc from antagonist to ally feels more perfunctory than organic.
The script’s biggest problem is how uninterested it seems in either deepening Hutch as a character or building on the first film’s examination (however shallow) of why a guy like him is so quick to pick up the gun again. The original Nobody already brushed past those questions in favor of clean, satisfying violence - this one doesn’t even bother with the pretense. It’s pure action franchise filler, the kind that mistakes moving quickly for being exciting.
It also feels chopped down in ways that suggest a longer cut existed at some point. Scenes end abruptly, character beats get dropped without payoff, and a few subplots feel like they’ve been edited into oblivion. In this case, trimming probably was the right call - nothing here feels like it would benefit from more runtime - but the result is still thin, leaving us with an 87North-branded shell that doesn’t have enough heft to sustain itself.
That’s ultimately the most frustrating thing about Nobody 2. The premise of the series was always a little flimsy, but the first film had a clear identity: a midlife crisis action flick with a wry streak and a lead actor who could sell both the vulnerability and the brutality. Here, even Odenkirk seems muted, doing what he can to make Hutch’s conflict between family man and reluctant killer land, but never quite getting the material to support him. The jazzy score occasionally gives the violence an offbeat pulse, but the film’s heart isn’t in it - and it’s hard for us to care when it feels like the movie doesn’t either.
By the time the credits roll, it’s clear that Nobody 2 isn’t an outright disaster. There are still flashes of personality, a couple of fun set pieces, and an appealing cast doing their best. But it is a disappointment, one that can’t match the original’s sense of surprise or swagger. What was once a novel twist on the “one last job” action formula has already settled into diminishing returns, and unless this series finds a better reason to exist beyond giving Hutch another round of goons to mow down, it might be time to let the Mansells enjoy a real vacation.
'Nobody 2' is now playing in theaters.
