Novocaine (2025 | USA | 110 minutes | Dan Berk & Robert Olsen)
Dan Berk and Robert Olsen subvert the unlikely hero trope in Novocaine, where everyman Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) leverages his rare condition—an inability to feel pain—to rescue the girl of his dreams. Born with CEPA, a disorder that dulls his sensitivity to pain, cold, and heat, Nate was given a life expectancy of 25 years. He has spent his life avoiding danger, rarely leaving home, subsisting on a liquid diet, and depending on an online friend as his sole source of companionship. That is, until he meets Sherry (Amber Midthunder), his vibrant opposite, who gives him a reason to truly live rather than merely survive.
When Sherry is taken hostage following a violent bank robbery, Nate embarks on a bloody mission to save her. He may not seem like the hero you’d bet on—but he’s determined to defy the odds to rescue the woman who inspired him to live.
Jack Quaid delivers an outstanding performance as Nate, commanding long solo scenes and showcasing excellent comedic timing even during intense fight sequences. Amber Midthunder delivers a standout performance as Sherry, a lively underdog who can hold her own in a fight. In another film, Sherry might have been relegated to a damsel in distress, but Berk and Olsen have allowed her to shine, granting her a level of autonomy that many women lack in action films.
Quaid’s performance, paired with Jacques Jouffret’s sharp cinematography, delivers tight, well-choreographed action sequences that amplify Nate’s naivety and play on his inability to feel pain, which lead to more and more ridiculous situations. While categorized as an action-packed thriller (and it is), the film is brimming with humor. From Matthew Walsh’s deadpan Detective Coltraine to the refreshingly relatable trio of robbers (Ray Nicholson, Evan Hengst, and Conrad Kemp), there is hardly a dull moment. While the abundance of jokes means some miss the mark. Still, with 99% of the humor landing well, the occasional awkward moment can be forgiven.
Dan Berk and Robert Olsen are the filmmaking duo behind several thrillers that blend dark humor and action to create fun, entertaining dark films. Novacaine is the first film from the duo that places a higher value on comedy, bringing a more lighthearted take to their familiar thriller genre.
Novacaine is not for the faint of heart—remember, Nate can’t feel pain, so he gets himself into more than a few predicaments where he uses this to his advantage (and to our horror). But if you can stomach it, you’ll be rewarded with a hilariously fun action-packed film with a side of romance.
Novocaine premiered at SXSW and arrives in theaters on March 14
Lead image courtesy Paramount Studios