An Unlikely Hero with a Wild Condition
Nate (Jack Quaid) is a quirky dude. He is an assistant manager at a bank, but he rarely interacts with his co-workers. His social isolation is challenged when Sherry (Amber Midthunder) is hired. She is the girl of his dreams, and eventually gets him to come out of his shell a bit. At lunch, she gets him to disclose his condition. Nate hesitates when offered solid food. His condition means he cannot feel pain. In this case, he turns down eating cherry pie because he fears biting his tongue off.
By the end of this story, biting his tongue would have been the least of his physical woes.
Sherry and Nate spend the night together after she turns the table on a creep who went to middle school with Nate. This is where his nickname “Novocaine” is introduced. She calls him a superhero, which he denies. As it turns out, she’s a pretty darn good actor.
It’s the holiday season, and the next day the bank is robbed by a trio of Santas. They kill the manager and take Sherry hostage. Nate, clearly infatuated with her, decides to chase them down. This is the moment that the rom-com becomes a comedy action flick. It’s also the moment that the writers get to come up with novel and creative ways to make Jack Quaid (appear to) suffer.
In interviews, Quaid said he had to basically unlearn everything he’s ever learned as an actor in his stunt work. Despite over-the-top physicality in roles like The Boys, Heads of State, and Logan Lucky, Quaid had a different lesson. Nate feels no pain. He has no instincts for self preservation. He has to simply take the punches, kicks, knives, and much, much more. The writing room has a grand time figuring out ways to torture the protagonist. Act Two’s interaction with the mammoth Zeno (Garth Collins) is a particularly fun ride.
The supporting cast is incredibly well-written. Sherry has her own character development. The three Santas have wildly different personalities, including Simon (Ray Nicholson) and his California vibe persona. Matt Walsh (Veep) and Betty Gabriel (Get Out) play the well-meaning cops trying to catch the robbers. Throw in Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man: Homecoming) as the wingman, and you have a wonderful chemistry among the cast.
Novocaine has just the right amount of plot to support the action and make viewers root for the characters. It’s a great exercise in “what are we willing to put our guy through in the name of love”? It’s similar to the Jason Statham 2006 movie, Crank, in the main character’s condition. The difference is this film isn’t littered with misogyny. Nathan Caine is a true everyman; an underdog who goes further than he ever thought because he feels something he’s never felt.
Novocaine got overlooked in theaters in a crowded early 2025. It’s worth the watch if viewers don’t mind some gore. In fact, viewers who celebrate creative kills (like the Leslie Vernon post-hole digger or Sleepaway Camp’s curling iron moment) will enjoy the heck out of it. It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime or Paramount Plus. At 1 hour and 50 minutes, it’s the perfect short, funny, romance/comedy/action movie with one of Hollywood’s most “Aw, Shucks” actors.
(Editor’s note: P.S. – This showed up in my feed next to Mickey 17, Nobody, and Suicide Squad if you want an idea of what you’re in for, or if you want some more to watch along these lines!)