“Novocaine” hit the box office on March 14 with positive reviews all around. Jack Quaid, who we just saw in “Companion” this past February, is now starring in another gore-centered role giving us a look into the types of characters and films we likely will be seeing him in again and again. His co-stars included Amber Midthunder as Sherry, the love interest to Quaid’s character Nate and Jacob Batalon depicting his best friend, Roscoe. Both Batalon and Midthunder matched Quaid’s comedic timing and delivered some much-needed laughs, bringing moments of levity to this action-packed film.
The film is centered around Nate Caine, your standard “average Joe” on the surface, working a pretty bland job as a bank assistant manager, following an incredibly strict routine and leading a life with little variety. That is until he falls head over heels for his coworker Sherry, who opens him up to the flare of living a little more on the edge. Through their interactions, the audience becomes aware that Nate suffers from an illness he’s had since birth where he can feel no pain, garnering him the nickname Novocaine. Sounds pretty romantic, right? That’s when things take a turn toward the action aspect of this film – with the bank getting robbed and Sherry getting taken hostage. This unfurls a series of “no pain but lots to gain” events for Nate to undergo in his search and rescue mission for Sherry.
Going into this film I (Hayley) really anticipated it being another superhero story ripped and adapted from a comic. After seeing the film I was convinced this had to be true! The pacing was perfect, and really made it feel like a story straight out of a comic book, which is why after watching the film I was surprised to find out that this was just a well-executed thematic choice. With that being said, Francine and I both found this film to be more of a romance action comedy than a thriller – making it far more enjoyable than either of us anticipated.
Francine jumping in – that mix of genres is what makes “Novocaine” stand out. It’s like dropping a nerdy, average guy into a “Deadpool-esque” world of chaos, with one key difference: Nate isn’t a hardened superhero, he’s just a dork dealing with a ridiculous hand, but that’s exactly what makes him so easy to root for. His first instinct isn’t to fight, it’s to reason with the bad guys, which makes for hilarious dialogue throughout the film. When Nate does fight, his clumsy moves on all the macho mercenaries paired with panicked one-liners made for some of the funniest moments.
Now, given Nate’s invincibility, the limit to how gory his injuries could get was seemingly nonexistent. The fight scenes were often cringeworthy, but it was fascinating to see how far they pushed his resilience. You always expect someone to stop the bad guy before any life-altering injuries are fully inflicted, but here, nothing is off-limits. I won’t spoil too much of the action, but let’s just say Novocaine’s body was really put through the wringer – bones and all.
The pacing of the film kept us on our toes, transitioning smoothly from a mini-romance whirlwind to intense non-stop action. The combination of fast-paced scenes, humor and unexpected twists ensured that “Novocaine” remained entertaining throughout. Novocaine might not feel a thing, but Quaid sure makes the audience feel every punchline and action-packed moment. This film punches in at a solid 3.5/5 stars.
