Film Review - Novocaine No Pain
Images courtesy of Paramount Pictures Australia.
Ever since the release of John Wick, we’ve seen a rise in the quality of American action films, especially in terms of choreography and camera work, to the point we’re starting to get films that play with that style in a more comedic fashion. Nobody, Boy Kills World, Bullet Train, and now the latest film from directing duo Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, Novocaine (or as it’s bafflingly titled in Australian marketing material, Novocaine No Pain).
Novocaine takes this style of action-comedy to its logical and bloody extreme through the “superpower” of its lead protagonist. Nathan Caine (played charmingly by Jack Quaid), suffers from a condition called CIPA, Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis – or in layman's terms as explained by the tagline, Nathan Caine can’t feel pain. This seems like the perfect set up for an ultraviolent action film, and it is, but the filmmakers never treat this plotpoint as a simple gimmick. Nathan’s condition is treated sympathetically throughout, he feels like a real character with a real life outside the story of the film. They did a great job of mining this concept for all it’s worth, not just in the violence inflicted on Nathan – which will be mentioned very soon – but also in smaller ways. He even got the nickname “Novocaine” from his high school bullies. Nathan doesn’t let his disability get in the way of trying to live a normal life: he has a normal job as an assistant manager at a bank, covers the edges in his apartment and workplace with protective tennis balls, stops very far away from cars in front of him, and only drinks his food in liquid form in case he accidentally bites his tongue off. Despite this, he doesn’t have much of a social life, his only friend is online gamer Roscoe (Jacob Batalon) who he’s never met in person.
Everything changes when Nathan works up the nerve to ask the new girl at the bank, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), out to lunch. She opens his mind to the world of eating cherry pie and going out to bars. He shows her his apartment with a small library’s worth of books, and his secret full body tattoos. The two have some genuinely good chemistry together so it’s easy to get invested in this blossoming romance. We get to spend enough time getting to know Nathan and Sherry before the plot kicks into full action gear. A group of men dressed as Santa Claus (this movie takes place around Christmas even though it’s been released in late March) rob the bank and take Sherry as a hostage. Nathan then risks everything to follow the cars, uncover their hiding spot, and save Sherry. Action comedy hijinks ensue! It might feel over the top to see Nathan risk his life for a girl he just met, but she essentially changed his life in one night, and considering how much damage Nathan takes throughout the film, a little suspension of disbelief goes a long way.
Speaking of damage, they get quite creative in their ways of punishing Nathan without actually punishing him, and it’s a gory good time destined to make squeamish viewers shuffle in their seats and look away gagging. He’s bashed, burned, stabbed, shot with a bullet and an arrow, electrocuted, hung upside down, and breaks his arm, among many other hilariously brutal injuries that no other action hero could simply shrug off. Nathan’s nonchalant reactions to a lot of what happens to him make for some jokes that land expertly with Quaid’s delivery, especially his bewilderment during the booby-trapped house sequence. Two particularly notable scenes involve his separate encounters with brothers, Ben (Evan Hengst) and Andre (Conrad Kemp). While fighting Ben in a kitchen – because what action movie is complete without a kitchen fight? – Nathan continues questioning Ben about the whereabouts of Sherry as Ben beats him up, not acknowledging any of the punches to his face, and even offering medical advice after Ben burns his hand. As Andre tortures Nathan for information, Nathan has to fake a painful reaction to draw out the sadistic ritual.
The ringleader of this gang of thieves, Simon, is played by Ray Nicholson, fresh from Smile 2, giving a great psycho performance here. He manages to be both intimidating and amusing, the kind of character that could fly off the handle at a moment’s notice but keeps it all jovial.
Midthunder’s Sherry may seem like a damsel in distress initially, but she definitely gets her chance to shine in some of the action set pieces, and holds her own in scenes with Nicholson. Jacob Batalon steals every scene he’s in, and easily has the best line delivery in a chase scene with two cops. Said cops, played by Betty Gabriel and Matt Walsh, add another layer of both tension and lightheartedness, as their pursuit of Nathan is sprinkled with apathetic banter between the two. All these side characters manage to add touches of personality to the world of Novocaine, stopping it from being a slog anytime it deviates from the main story.
Overall it’s a gory fun time. It might not be super innovative, but the creators make great use of the central concept, for thrills and laughs, in a way that still stands out from the crowd. The equal helping of fights and jokes should be guaranteed to make action aficionados laugh and comedy connoisseurs flinch.
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Novocaine No Pain is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.