Jack Quaid continues to carve a comfortable niche for himself in the world of genre pics with his latest film, Novocaine, from Paramount Pictures. Dan Berk & Robert Olsen direct the film from a script by Lars Jacobson.
Nate (Quaid) is a San Diego assistant bank manager who spends his nights gaming with his online friend Roscoe (Jacob Batalon). Due to his unique medical condition of being unable to feel pain or different hot and cold temperatures in foods, Nate keeps to himself. Nevertheless, he's liked by his customers, including the recently widowed Earl (Lou Beatty Jr.), and is the jewel of the bank manager's eyes.
One day, he has an incident with the new bank teller, Sherry (played by Amber Mindhunter), in the break room. Afterward, she takes him to lunch, leading to a successful date night. However, the couple's bliss is short-lived when a trio of petty thugs—Simon (Ray Nicholson), Ben (Evan Hengst), and Andre (Conrad Kemp)—decides to rob the bank and take Sherry hostage. Despite warnings from Detectives Mincy (Betty Gabriel) and Coltraine (Matt Walsh), who are working the case with the help of Roscoe, Nate realizes that his unique advantage—his inability to feel physical pain—allows him to rescue the girl of his dreams.
The creative team behind Novocaine quickly establishes its premise. The script avoids providing a flashback scene of Nate's childhood or a montage that showcases a developing relationship between him and Sherry. The entire film takes place over a 2-day, which works perfectly for the run time. Kudos to the filmmakers for not turning Nate into some superhero with plot armor. Every hit his body takes is shown in realistic detail with some wonderous makeup,
Quaid carries the film tactfully as a modern-day everyman, allowing the audience to root for him. While Nate can't feel pain, he's also aware that he's not a traditional alpha male and humorously does his best to avoid violence. Our female lead, Amber Mindhunter, continues to make a name for herself in genre pics, and she rises above the damsel in distress trope. The remaining of the supporting cast, who make up Nate's allies, are also good, bringing their usual acting style to the film.
From a heavy standpoint, Evan Hengst and Conrad Kemp deliver the performance that a film like this needs without ever crossing the line into parody. At the same time, Ray Nicholson continues to add his impressive resume. Like the film's star, Nicholson doesn't rely on his father's famous acting style regarding his role.
The one issue I had with the film was an unneeded plot twist that was forced. Furthermore, the music department dropped the ball by remixing Frank Ocean's same-titled song for the film. Nevertheless, with a winning lead performance and the right mix of comedy and action, Novocaine is worth the trip to the theater.
Final Grade: B
Novaine opens in theaters on Thursday, March 13th.
Comments