Second Viewing is a series here at The Nerds Templar where we discuss a movie we’ve seen before and then watch again for a second time. Maybe we saw it at the theater and then catch it again on home video or streaming services or maybe it’s a film we watched years ago and view again today to see how it holds up.
What We Thought:
I first watched Nobody a few months back when it was released digitally. Then recently its star Bob Odenkirk had some health issues on the set of his TV series Better Call Saul and being a fan of Bob’s, I went out and bought a Blu-ray of Nobody so I could see him being a badass again. Stay safe Bob, we all love you.
If you aren’t familiar with the film, me calling Bob Odenkirk a badass might be confusing. It opens with his character Hutch seeming like the typical suburban dad. He has a beautiful wife, two kids, a home and a job he takes the bus to every day. He gets his exercise, forgets to get the trash out in time, all what you expect from the typical suburban family. Then one night two thieves break into his house and despite having the ability to stop them, he lets them go. See Hutch has a past that he has tried to put away for good despite his son losing respect for him and his wife being distant.
But now Hutch has the itch and when his young daughter thinks the thieves stole her bracelet, Hutch sets out to scratch that itch. Before his suburban life Hutch was an “auditor”, the last person you wanted to show up because he’d be the last person you’d ever see. Hutch wasn’t allowed to arrest people so he made them disappear. After tracking down the thieves through a tattoo, Hutch handles his business, but not in his old way.
Of course once you put your toe in the water, you might as well dive in and when some drunk guys get on a bus and start bothering a young woman, Hutch lets the demons out. He’s not the man he once was, but his training kicks in. The film works because it knows Bob Odenkirk isn’t built like Sylvester Stallone. He’s not a superhero. He takes a beating on the bus while putting these men in the hospital. That’s realistic. Even with a dark past, a 50 something year old man won’t walk away without scratches, bruises and getting bloodied.
One of those men was the brother of a Russian gangster so now Hutch is 100% back in. The Russians bring the fight to Hutch’s house and if you ever wanted to see an adult version of Home Alone, this movie is for you. Hutch gives the Russian the option for both of them to walk away, but the third act brings a fantastic car chase and a warehouse set piece that would rival Denzel Washington’s The Equalizer.
Nobody is directed by Ilya Naishuller who made the criminally underrated Hardcore Henry. It’s written by Derek Kolstad of John Wick fame. People might think it will feel similar to those films and like other action movies like the previously mentioned The Equalizer. And it does, but the big difference is Bob Odenkirk. He’s a comedian. The closest thing to action he’s ever done is getting punched in Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul. That’s what separates Nobody from other films in the Gun-Fu genre, here’s this everyday looking guy relying on training to get the job done while getting his ass whooped like a 50 year old man would at the same time. The story came about because Bob was involved in a home invasion himself and he didn’t like how it made him feel. It’s his revenge fantasy put on film.
Add in the fact that Nobody makes 80 plus year old Christopher Lloyd a major badass and let’s RZA have some fun along the way too and it’s an action movie for different generations. Everyone, especially men, think they have a badass in them when push comes to shove and this film will definitely stoke that fire. It’s produced by David Leitch and his crew at 87Eleven did all the stunts, pre-visuals and trained Bob to be able to look the part. If you love stunt work like me, the bonus features on the Blu-ray are a must watch and shows all the training Bob did for years to prepare for Hutch and how they did the action sequences on the bus, in the house, the car chase and more. Nobody is one of my favorite films of 2021, I only wish I could have seen in a theater with an audience rooting and hollering. If you like the John Wick franchise, The Equalizer, The Raid franchise or just want to see Bob Odenkirk, Christopher Lloyd and RZA kill some Russians then Nobody is…
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
The Nerds Templar 