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| Images courtesy of Paramount |
Actor Jack Quaid is perhaps best known for his role as Hughie in the ultraviolent superhero show The Boys, where people with superpowers commit atrocious crimes and are caught in lewd acts aplenty. While Quaid’s character often takes second fiddle to many of the other over-the-top characters on the show, he’s finally been given a chance to shine with a “superpower” of sorts, and this time it’s on the big screen. Novocaine follows in the gory yet comedic spirit of The Boys with an essence all its own.
In the film, Quaid plays Nate: a nerdy banker who’s a bit of a recluse with a love for gaming on his off time. He seems like a relatively normal guy — until you get to know him better, that is. It turns out Nate has a peculiar medical condition that causes him to feel no pain, and while he’s seen it as a disability for much of his life, it ends up working to his advantage when there’s an armed robbery at his bank, and Sherry (Amber Midthunder), the girl whom he’s dating, is kidnapped by the robbers. Not wanting to leave her fate up to the detectives on the case, Nate ventures out to find Sherry, and in the process, finds a lot of trouble. His medical condition comes in handy as he comes toe-to-toe against some extremely dangerous criminals, who are impressed over what a beating poor Nate can take.
Novocaine boasts a solid cast of heavyweight genre actors who all do a splendid job in the film. In addition to Quaid’s history in The Boys, Amber Midthunder has been in the likes of action-oriented media like Legion and Prey, making her a perfect fit as the cool, tough love interest of Nate’s. Rounding out the cast is Jacob Batalon, who plays Roscoe in the film. Best known for his role as Peter Parker’s friend Ned in Marvel’s Spider-Man, Batalon plays another pal this time around as Nate’s online gaming buddy. If it weren’t for the presence of recognizable actors of this caliber, the film likely wouldn’t have been as successful; its mediocre script and slightly messy storyline needed something else to help elevate it outside of a gimmicky premise.
Despite some of its flaws, Novocaine’s a good time for forgiving action fans seeking a fun time with little depth. The editing keeps the film feeling fast-paced, there are plenty of twists to keep audiences engaged, and the slapstick, comedic gore in the film is enough to make those with a dark sense of humor cringe in delight. If truth be told, the violent ways in which Nate acquires bodily harm are quite possibly the biggest selling factors of the film with little else separating it from the standard action film outside of the aforementioned star power.
That said, to enjoy the film is to have a hearty suspension of disbelief. Audiences who can’t tune out the aspects of the film that don’t make sense might have a hard time with Novocaine. For instance, Nate feels no pain because of his condition, but that doesn’t mean he’s invincible, even though oftentimes the film treats him as such. What about the body shutting down after receiving multiple severe injuries due to shock or blood loss? Novocaine sometimes forgets that vulnerabilities in characters are what make them interesting, and part of the charm of Nate in the first place is that he seems like an everyman who’s very much not a badass.
Don’t think about Novocaine too hard. Fans of the irreverent superhero trend will especially enjoy this one. It’s an action film meant to be fun and not to analyze. Lay back, zone out, and enjoy the ride of bodily harm and grim laughs that it offers.
- Andrea Riley