“Novocaine” stars Jack Quaid as Nathan Caine, a man with a condition that makes him unable to feel pain. This is an action movie, and it sounds like a man who can’t feel pain would fit right into the role of action hero, right? Actually, no. Caine’s condition is just terribly inconvenient in his everyday life. He could get cut or burned without realizing it, and if the wound is left untreated, he could get an infection. He doesn’t have the instinct to keep his tongue away from his teeth, so he has to abstain from solid foods or else he could chomp right into his tongue. He can’t even feel the pangs associated with having to go to the bathroom, so he just goes every three hours whether he needs to or not.
Caine’s condition has led to social awkwardness, and although he’s nice to people, he has few real friends outside of unseen online gamer Roscoe (Jacob Batalon). But things change when he starts a relationship with fellow bank employee Sherry (Amber Midthunder), who has her own history with physical pain. They go on one date and Caine immediately knows he’s in love with her. He’s at a rare high point in his life at work the next day when a trio of robbers massacre that bank and take Sherry hostage as they flee. The sense of fear and potential loss is the worst feeling Caine has ever had in his life, and he’s going to rescue Sherry no matter what happens to his body in the process.
This means getting into a series of fights with the robbers (Evan Hengst, Conrad Kemp, and Ray Nicholson). He’s nowhere near as tough or skilled as they are, but he can use his condition to his advantage. He can get hit, but he can get back up. He can stall for time by taking a beating or enduring torture until help arrives. He can even use weapons that his enemies are too afraid to touch because they’re scalding hot or submerged in a deep fryer. By the way, is it weird that this movie makes me unusually inclined toward cannibalism with a scene where Caine makes his hand extra-crispy?
This movie can thank its lucky stars for Jack Quaid, whose sincerity and commitment to the character are the only interesting things about the movie. I was really looking forward to seeing Amber Midthunder again after she carried the “Predator” prequel “Prey” in 2022, but she’s disappointing in a predictable role here. Batalon is just playing a less interesting version of his “Spider-Man” sidekick character. Betty Gabriel has some heartfelt moments as a cop, but her character doesn’t have much impact on the story. Perhaps most disappointing is Ray Nicholson as the lead villain. He was so expressive and unnerving last year in “Smile 2,” but I didn’t get any of that from his bland performance here. I’d have let Conrad Kemp carry the load as primary antagonist, he has some scene-stealing qualities about his face.
Caine’s convoluted rescue mission reminded me of the convoluted plot of “Love Hurts” from last month, a movie that I decried while praising Quaid’s performance in “Companion” in the same article. Perhaps it’s appropriate that my opinion of “Novocaine” falls squarely between those two films. This movie could have been a lot more brainless, but I quibble with its predictable story (I guessed one twist just from the trailers), lame characters outside of the lead, and tonal inconsistency. The advertising makes this movie look a lot more comedic than it is.
There are gags, to be sure, but there are also long stretches where the movie plays things unexpectedly straight. Not that actors like Quaid and Gabriel aren’t good at playing things straight, but there were times when I noticed I hadn’t laughed for what seemed like several minutes. Like many of the punches Caine takes, this movie wasn’t exactly “painful,” but it certainly didn’t do me much good.
Grade: C
“Novocaine” is rated R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, and language throughout. Its running time is 110 minutes.
Robert R. Garver is a graduate of the Cinema Studies program at New York University. His weekly movie reviews have been published since 2006.
Last Update: Mar 17, 2025 8:10 am CDT
