Star Cast: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder
Director: Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
Novocaine Movie Review Synopsis:
NOVOCAINE is the story of a man who can’t feel pain. Nate (Jack Quaid) is a shy gentleman who lives alone in San Diego. He works at San Diego Trust Credit Union bank as an assistant manager and suffers from Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), which means that he can’t feel pain. Moreover, he doesn’t even have solid food with the fear that he might unknowingly bite his tongue. He’s in love with Sherry (Amber Midthunder), who works in his bank but never has the guts to ask her out. As luck would have it, Sherry begins to speak to him and they even get intimate. As a result, Nate is elated. The next day, on Christmas Eve, the bank gets burgled by three men in Santa Claus suit. The trio compel Nate to divulge the locker combination. The burglars not only rob the money but also take Sherry as hostage. Nate chases them to save the girl he loves the most. The cops arrive and Nate becomes the suspect. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Novocaine Movie Story Review:
Lars Jacobson’s story is entertaining and reminds one of MARD KO DARD NAHI HOTA [2019] and also AANKHEN [2002] to some extent. But Lars Jacobson’s screenplay is very different from the former though in both the films, the characters have the same disorder. The writing, however, gets a bit stretched in the second half. The dialogues are mildly funny.
Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s direction is simple. The run time is 109 minutes and the pacing is just right. The characters are introduced neatly without rushing through the narrative. This part is sweet and touching. The film switches genres once the bank is robbed and from here on, the film is riddled with hilarious and action-packed scenes. The twist at the midpoint comes as a shocker. Post-interval, the scene where Nate enters a booby-trapped house stands out.
On the flipside, the film is very disturbing and is not for the faint-hearted. The action is very gory and, in the climax, the makers push the envelope in this regard unnecessarily. The film also starts to drag in the finale. Lastly, the buzz is minimal in India.
Novocaine Movie Review Performances:
Jack Quaid gets into the skin of his character. He is apt as the socially awkward person who begins to indulge in fights and murders due to the prevailing circumstances. Amber Midthunder dominates the beginning scenes and delivers a fine performance. Jacob Batalon (Roscoe) has a late entry but makes up for it with his lovely performance. Betty Gabriel (Detective Mincy) lends able support. Matt Walsh (Detective Coltraine) is nothing great. As for the antagonists, Ray Nicholson (Simon) leaves the maximum mark followed by Evan Hengst (Ben) and Conrad Kemp (Andre). Garth Collins (Zeno) and Lou Beatty Jr (Earl) are memorable.
Novocaine movie music and other technical aspects:
Lorne Balfe and Andrew Kawczynski’s music is minimal in the beginning but later, it enhances the madness. Jacques Jouffret’s cinematography is satisfactory. The same goes for Kara Lindstrom’s production design and the costumes. The action is one of the strong points of the film. A few action scenes are quite stunning and will be loved but some of the violent shots will shock and disturb viewers.
Novocaine Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, NOVOCAINE makes for a fun watch thanks to its subject and some memorable action scenes. However, the lack of awareness of the film and its extremely gory climax might prove detrimental to its box office outcome.