“One of the best John Wick-esque movie of this year”

Dir: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen

Prod: Joby Harold, Lars Jacobson, Julian Rosenberg, Tory Tunnell

Writ: Lars Jacobson

Cast: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Jacob Batalon, Ray Nicholson

Novocaine is the newest movie in the “John Wick-esque” action genre, starring Jack Quaid as Nathan Caine, an assistant manager at a San Diego trust who has a disorder called “congenital insensitivity to pain and anhidrosis” (shortened to CIPA). This is a real genetic disorder, and some people do have it. When a robbery occurs, Nathan must do whatever it takes to save his new girlfriend, Sherry (played by Amber Midthunder).

First and foremost, this is a straight-up action thriller with a lot of humor coming from Jack Quaid’s character, Nathan. It’s a unique take on the genre because he cannot feel pain. The film doesn’t just use this as an excuse for him not to feel the pain, but also makes the action and fight sequences more entertaining, all while keeping the movie itself very funny.

How’s the movie? It’s awesome. I think this is one of the best action thrillers of the year. In fact, I’d put it alongside the first and fourth John Wick films and Nobody because it was the most fun I had in theaters and is one of the best action movies of this year. The story is simple but effective and it just straight to the point. What makes it great is that it’s action-packed and thrilling, but also funny and charming. The first act feels like a rom-com for 15 to 20 minutes, and by the time you hit the second and third acts, it’s a non-stop action thriller in the vein of John Wick and Nobody. The action sequences, directed by Dan Berk & Robert Olsen (who previously two Maika Monroe movies directed Villains and Significant Others, though I haven’t watched Villains yet, Significant Others was decent), are competenly direct. There’s no shaky cam or unnecessary CGI and it’s mostly practical. The choreography is beautiful and brutal, over the top and lighthearted. The film uses its R rating very well. The characters also feel grounded Nathan, for example, can’t fight at all, but he does whatever it takes to save his girlfriend. Roscoe (played by Jacob Batalon) is another character that feels real, like a nice online friend who’s a bit chatty but very helpful.

As for the flaws, Sherry (played by Amber Midthunder) has great chemistry with Jack Quaid, but her character is underdeveloped. She still does some things, at least. The villain, Simon (played by Ray Nicholson, Jack Nicholson’s son), feels like a cartoon villain. There’s also the odd choice of having only two detectives investigating the robbery, which takes away from the immersiveness of the film.

Novocaine is definitely worth watching if you like John Wick, Nobody, Violent Night, or any other movie in this similar genre. It’s original, fun, and action-packed. While it’s very gory, it still remains a fun time, and the gore isn’t used just for shock value. it’s grounded, showing what might happen if someone who can’t feel pain does something insane. Jack Quaid, the humor, and the action sequences make this movie a lot of fun to watch, so please support it so we can get more original action movies like this. If you’re tired of sequels and remakes, you definitely need to watch this! I will strongly putting it on my list of best movies of 2025.

My Rating: A-