Novocaine is an action-comedy that features Jack Quaid as Nathan Caine, a mild-mannered assistant bank manager who finds himself entirely removed from the same solar system as his comfort zone by chasing the thieves who robbed his bank, killed his manager and kidnapped the girl he loves. What gives Novocaine its originality is that Nathan has a congenital insensitivity to pain, meaning he can’t perceive pain - a concept this film exploits surprisingly well and with a small but welcome element of realism.

 

Nathan Caine lives his life wrapped in cotton wool: he has no sharp edges on any furniture he owns, no pencils are left out in the open and no solid food is eaten lest he puncture an arm or leg unknowingly, or bite his tongue off when trying to chew. This lifestyle is clearly well established and comfortable for Nathan, the risk it seems is too great to him to behave otherwise. When Sherry (Amber Midthunder) comes into his orbit at work, something changes for him. She challenges Nathan’s worldview, and he feels hope for a new future because of the feelings Sherry inspires. When she is taken from him and her life threatened by the bank robbers, Nathan begins to behave less like himself and more like John McClane, putting himself in increasingly dangerous and ridiculous situations in the sole aim of rescuing Sherry from her captors.

 

Novocaine takes itself seriously to just the right extent; it treats Nathan like a superhero but we recognise that he’s going to be in trouble later. It has just the right amount of fun with concept this before it feels ridiculous or exploitative, giving Novocaine the feeling of novelty while also being incredibly entertaining and fun. Amber Midthunder (Prey) and Jacob Batalon (Spiderman: No Way Home) are both great as the two people in Nathan’s life he cares about the most, while Ray Nicholson (Smile 2) relishes playing a delightfully evil villain.

 

Novocaine is a fun action film that puts a normal guy into an anything but normal situation, but where it stands above the rest is how it handles its way of making this normal guy the superhero the story needs; becoming thoroughly entertaining and fun because of it.