Nerdly » ‘Novocaine’ Blu-ray Review

25th Jun2025

‘Novocaine’ Blu-ray Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Matt Walsh, Jacob Batalon | Written by Lars Jacobson | Directed by Dan Berk, Robert Olsen

Novocaine, the latest film from directing duo Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, is a deliriously over-the-top genre mashup – equal parts action-comedy, rom-com, and slapstick gorefest. Anchored by a charismatic Jack Quaid, this is a film that laughs in the face of pain… literally! Playing Nate Caine, a mild-mannered bank manager with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain, Quaid turns physical indestructibility into both a superpower and a running gag, navigating a barrage of cartoonish violence with deadpan charm and endearing awkwardness.

What begins as a quirky character study quickly shifts gears into chaos when a trio of bank-robbing Santas crash the holiday spirit and kidnap Sherry (Amber Midthunder), Nate’s love interest. What follows is a gleefully grotesque odyssey of improvised weapons, kitchen carnage, and increasingly creative injuries. Quaid shines, balancing slapstick and sincerity, while Midthunder elevates the typical damsel-in-distress dynamic with grit and presence.

The action is gleefully absurd. From frying pan fistfights to crossbow mishaps, every set-piece pushes the limits of Nate’s condition in ever more inventive, and squirm-inducing, ways. One standout kitchen brawl plays like Home Alone by way of The Evil Dead, while an interrogation scene involving a tattoo gun and a very unlucky henchman borders on performance art in its lunacy.

Lars Jacobson’s script crackles with wit, bolstered by a scene-stealing Matt Walsh as a jaded cop and Jacob Batalon as Nate’s hapless best friend, who delivers gamer banter like a man who’s never left his Discord server. The dialogue is sharp, the pacing brisk, and the tone refreshingly self-aware. Ray Nicholson, in a supporting role, continues to cement himself as one to watch. After standout turns in Promising Young Woman and Borderline, he proves once again he can steal a scene with ease.

That said, Novocaine isn’t flawless. Its romantic subplot runs out of steam in the final act, and the film’s tonal pendulum occasionally swings too far into excess. The plot is straightforward, and while the physical comedy remains inventive, a few beats feel repetitive.

Still, this is unrepentantly fun cinema—a gory, goofy romp with just enough heart to ground the absurdity. Novocaine doesn’t aspire to depth, but it knows exactly what it wants to be: a blood-soaked Looney Tunes for grown-ups. Jack Quaid cements his status as a true comedic leading man, and the film earns its place among the most joyfully unhinged action comedies in recent memory.