Novocaine: Movie Review

Cast: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Jacob Batalon, Ray Nicholson
Director: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen

The Boys star Jack Quaid builds on his nebbish personality as Nathan Caine, an assistant bank manager who has a genetic condition that prevents him from feeling pain in this comedy-action film that has its moments but also feels uneven in parts.

Caine is a recluse, driven away from society by bullying when he was younger and forced to not experience life because of his condition. When a flirtation with fellow bank employee Sherry (played by Prey actress Midthunder) leads to him coming out of his shell, he's elated. But things go disastrously wrong when the bank he works at is robbed and Sherry is kidnapped.

Novocaine has a charm thanks to its two leads and their easy chemistry, but the film's slow-burn build up at the start gives way to some tonal jerkiness and a distinct feeling that the movie doesn't want to go too far into its penchant for bone-crunching agony.

There are elements of Nobody brought to the script's fore as the everyman protagonist is forced into action and Quaid makes for a likeable companion on this journey. But the script's attitude of fight, quip, fight soon outstays its welcome.

Thankfully an unexpected twist makes proceedings more bearable and also provides a shot of adrenaline into the stakes - and the appearance of Batalon as Caine's online gamer buddy adds an element of humanity and warmth that's welcome.

As a concept, Novocaine is a great one, an idea that's largely carried off by Quaid's innate likeability. If the script had been a little more polished and the direction had decided on which genre it truly wanted to go in, it would have been unstoppable - it's not a painful experience by any stretch of the imagination, it's just that some of the more clearly crowd-pleasing led elements don't quite land as they should.