Action speaks Louder than Words: Dan Berk and Robert Olsen's Novocaine (2025)

Growing up in the 80’s, I had multiple action heroes to choose from, be it Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone or Jean Claude Van Damme just to name a few. As they began to age I started to ask myself, who is there to take their place. Even the “younger” stars who came in their wake like Jason Statham and Scott Adkins are now starting to get on.

With that in mind, it is obvious we are in need of new blood. Sure, some possible contenders have reared their head, but I must say one of them I wasn’t expecting was Jack Quaid. While he has certainly proven to be a likeable presence in the likes of The Boys (2019) or even when playing a killer in Scream (2022), he isn’t exactly who springs to mind when you think, action hero. However, this is exactly what the makers of Novocaine (2025) are going for, with Quaid's character typically being the type you would expect to get taken out relatively early.

If it wasn’t for a particular medical condition, this would certainly be the case. See, Nathan Caine (Quaid) was born with CIPA, or to give it its full title, congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis. This prevents Nathan from feeling pain, or pretty much anything to be more precise. This has caused Nathan to live most of his life in fear, not even able to experience such delights as food due to the fear he could bite his own tongue off without feeling it.

Nathan’s predicament becomes a blessing in disguise when he attempts to rescue his new girlfriend Sherry (Amber Midthunder) who finds herself kidnapped after a violent robbery at the bank both of them work at. In hot pursuit, Nathan faces off against each of the robbers with extremely gruesome results, with Nathan going on like the energizer bunny, always getting back up after being treated to a brutal beatdown that would put an end to most people.

As Nathan is continually put through the ringer he begins to find out that this robbery may not be as simple as he thought, with lead robber Simon (Ray Nichoslon) being seriously unhinged in his determination to keep his ill gotten gains. Additionally, Nathan finds himself also suspected as an accomplice to the robbery by cops Langston (Betty Gabriel) and Duffy (Matt Walsh), forcing him to go to some extreme measures in order to clear his name as well as save Sherry.

I had enough of an idea of what to expect from Novocaine having seen some of the previous work from directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen. Both Stake Land II (2016) and Villains (2019) show that the two of them have a penchant for mixing black humour with extreme violence. The laughs are obviously more to the fore in Villains than the bleak Stake Land II, but even that still manages to have its humorous moments.

Unlike those two films mentioned, Novocaine is more mainstream. Well as mainstream as an ultra violent action comedy can be. It’s tonally in line with something like Crank (2006), using its crazy hook to move the plot from one crazy scenario to the next. It may not reach the extremes of Neveldine and Taylor’s action classic but there is some truly memorable carnage on show in Novocaine that helps set it apart from typical action fare.

Like Crank, what helps it along is that it actually has a protagonist you care about. Whereas Crank’s Chev Chelios was a violent assassin, Novacaine’s Nathan Caine is a much more relatable character. Sure, he may have an unimaginable affliction, but Quaid gives him an everyman quality which many will be able to identify with. It’s no surprise Quaid can handle the comedy and romantic aspects of the film, but he also gets involved in a fair amount of action scenes throughout a good deal of the film. There may be a bit of a slow build to begin with, which directors Berk and Olsen use to build up the characters, but after this it's pretty much action all the way.

The opening bank heist is a small taste of what’s to come, being unforgivably violent, with our thieves dropping anyone who gets in their way. This obviously is to show they aren’t to be messed with, helping build the tension as it seems unlikely someone like Nathan with his limited skill set will be any match for them.

In a way this is true, as Nathan is pretty much a punching back for the majority of his opponents, with his ability to withstand all counts of punishment being the only thing that saves him. Nathan’s affliction allows Berk and Olsen to inject a good percentage of laughs into the action, even when the blood is in full flow. I did appreciate however that they didn’t make Nathan a superhero. Whilst he may not be able to feel pain, his injuries still carry life threatening consequences. His affliction doesn’t make him invincible which is reflected in the action.

One of the stand out fight scenes for me is when Quaid’s Nathan faces off against a gigantic tattooist played by Garth Collins. Quad is essentially ragdolled around the Tattoo parlor until he manages to get the upper hand on Collins, leading to what appears to be an extreme homage to Kickboxer (1989) where Quaid has pieces of broken glass stuck to his hand. Whereas Jean Claude Van Damme’s character had the glass stuck to his gloves, Quaid’s instead has the glass embedded into his skin which he proceeds to punch into his opponent, leading to some painful results.

Quaid isn’t the only one to make an impression. Or the only one to have a famous father in the business. Ray Nicholson (son of Jack) makes for a charmingly evil bad guy, bringing a much needed charisma to what could have been a forgettable villain. Nicholson’s performance may not be as memorable as his role in the earlier Borderline (2025), but he still manages to impress, having that same devious twinkle in his eye that shone through much of his fathers work.

Saying this, it does Nicholson something of a disservice to compare him to his famous father. Similarly to Quaid, Nicholson has no doubt had many claims aimed at him as being a “nepo baby” and while you could levy that at some modern celebrities, you couldn’t at either Nicholson or Quaid. The quality of their performances shine through, with their casting not merely being based on family ties.

Considering how action heavy her role was in Prey (2022), it is slightly disappointing to see Amber Midthunder mostly playing the damsel in distress role. Thankfully there is more to her character as the film progresses with her finally getting to take part in the action nearer the finale. She and Quaid share a nice, believable chemistry making you root for them all the more.

Jacob Batalon’s limited role just adds to the fun, with his character being the closest thing Quaid’s Nathan has to a friend and ally. He doesn’t physically appear on screen until roughly the halfway mark, with him just being a voice on the phone before then. After his work in the MCU Spiderman films it is clear that Batalon can do the loyal friend character in his sleep, so it’s good to see that he’s able to differentiate his character here despite the similarities.

Both Betty Gabriel and Matt Walsh also bring a good deal of humour as mismatched cops Mincy and Coltraine, with the both of them hot on Nathan’s heels before they begin to realise that he may actually be telling the truth. Walsh is especially hilarious as the borderline depressive detective who looks like he just can’t be arsed with anything. I could actually see their characters having their own buddy cop movie, with the two of them playing off each other well.

I can understand that Novocaine may not be for everyone. The violence may be too extreme for those just looking for a straightforward action comedy, but personally, how ridiculous the violence became just added to the overall fun. Personally, Novocaine was initially more of a curiosity for me, with my main interest in being how Jack Quaid fared as an action star. I’m glad to say he more than exceeded expectations, with me leaving the cinema hoping to see more action fare down the line from Quaid, with there even being potential for a Novocaine sequel.

Rating: 3.8/5