Search - Novocaine [DVD] on DVD

B.J. W. (analogkid01) from CHICAGO, IL
Reviewed on 7/5/2025...

Hey, anybody remember these guys?

www.tiktok.com/@huggyattack/video/7396552728887037227

That's basically the new film "Novocaine" starring Jack Quaid, only...bland. Bland bland bland. This review is going to be equally bland. If you take out your cell phone and start playing Solitaire while reading this review, I won't blame you at all because I did the same thing in the theater while watching "Novocaine."

Quaid plays Nathan Caine, who was born with a genetic defect which prevents him from feeling pain. He lives a secluded life; his parents kept him safely sequestered away from the world as a child and this has largely carried over into his adult life. He works as an assistant manager at a credit union, and has caught the eye of new hire Sherry (Amber Midthunder of "Prey").

Sherry helps Nathan start to come out of his shell through the power of pie. Unfortunately, a group of robbers knock over Nathan's bank and take Sherry hostage. Nathan decides the best thing to do is get Sherry back, by any means necessary. As you can probably predict, Nathan ends up in basically a full-body cast at the end of the film.

The basic flaw is that the film is extremely one-note. Each scene features Nathan getting into one situation after another where he inflicts pain on himself in order to beat up a bad guy. The action is not very clever, and neither are the characters multi-dimensional enough that we care what happens to them. (I'm also fairly certain that a Glock pulled fresh from a deep fryer would simply not work, but I could be mistaken.)

The most enjoyable aspect of the film is Nathan's relationship with his online gaming friend, Roscoe (Jacob Batalon). They've never met face to face, but have spent untold hours together playing games. When Nathan calls him for help in tracking down the robbers and Sherry, Roscoe reluctantly agrees, breathing much-needed life into the proceedings.

I'm not sure if the script (by writer Lars Jacobson) knows it's not very clever, or thinks it's very clever. The direction, by two-headed auteurs Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, lacks the energy needed to make up for Nathan's nebbishly bland nature. I kept wondering how this film would be different if directed by Edgar Wright.

The premise is decent, Quaid and Midthunder are capable actors, and there's an engaging movie in there somewhere, but this isn't it.

Grade: C-minus