Synopsis
When the girl of his dreams (Amber Midthunder) is kidnapped, everyman Nate (Jack Quaid) turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected strength in his fight to get her back.
What We Thought
Novocaine is pretty much the movie I was hoping it would be. It has a surprise twist that may or may not be necessary, but I enjoyed it and can see myself watching it again in the future.
We’ve definitely seen very similar movies in the recent past, films that see a Beta/nerdy/out of his element type have to step up and be a better version of himself. Most recently there was Love Hurts (which I very much enjoyed) and even last year’s Thelma has a familiar theme with an older woman having to step up and take control of a situation. As long as the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, that plot design can work over and over again.
It works here because of Jack Quaid. I haven’t seen every season of The Boys, but I know him from that series and this movie might be one of, if not his first, leading man effort. What’s funny about Jack is, he’s the son of Dennis Quaid, but he comes across more like the son of John Ritter. Dennis, his dad, was very much the masculine leading man of the 80s and 90s. Ritter was the lanky, easy to root for, lovable goofball and that’s what Jack is here. As a man with a disease that leaves him unable to feel pain, Quaid’s Nate Caine steps up after the bank he works for is robbed. The robbers kidnap his new love interest and he uses his inability to feel pain to defeat the bad guys. He literally takes punch after punch and gets hit with booby trap after booby trap and gets up like a superhero to save the damsel in distress.
It’s that simplicity that keeps the film from wandering too far. Despite it having a surprise twist, the film is simply about Caine falling for a girl and trying to save that girl. He has a sidekick and the cops are involved, but it’s really just Caine being a new, heroic version of himself. It doesn’t go into too much detail about his disease and barely hints at his daily routine besides setting alarm reminders. It shows some things he has to do like putting a stopper on the shower temperature so he doesn’t burn himself and tennis balls on corners so he doesn’t walk into them, but the film never feels bogged down by explanations of his condition. It’s simply here’s Nate, here’s what’s wrong with him and now go be a hero.
Ultimately that’s why Novocaine works for me. It’s a simple concept with ridiculous action that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Quaid handles the action and comedy with ease and I can see him doing more of these flicks in the future. It’s not a slam dunk and goes on a little longer than it should, but if you are looking for a movie to shut your brain off and clap at someone getting stabbed or punched then it is…
RECOMMENDED!
Director
Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
Cast
Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh, Lou Beatty Jr., Van Hengst, Conrad Kemp and Jacob Batalon
The Nerds Templar 