Novocaine Review: Jack Quaid’s Romcom Gets A Painful Twist
Jack Quaid brings the violence, gore, and even comedic charm in Novocaine. Yet the story lacks the careful balance needed.
Warning: Spoiler Alert
Novocaine, directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, stars its main character, Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid). Who lives a lonely life defined by a rare genetic disorder: CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis). When he isn’t working as an assistant manager, he spends his time at home playing video games online. This changes forever when Sherry (Prey’s Amber Midthunder), the woman he’s secretly in love with, takes him out to lunch. Introducing him to a world of pleasure and connection he’s never known
However, after the best night of his life, his luck turns catastrophically. Sherry is kidnapped by bank robbers during a heist gone wrong. Now, driven by desperation and love, Nathan transforms into a one-man army to get the girl back.
The first act perfectly establishes Jack as an average guy trapped in the nine-to-five grind. Nursing a quiet crush on his coworker Sherry. It starts as a straightforward romcom storyline in the vein of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty or Punch Drunk Love. This is where the directors ( Dan Berk& Robert Olsen) and writer Lars Jacobson show real brilliance.
The opening scene introduces Nathan to the strains of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts,” a choice that works well in this movie. The Close-up shots in scenes like his conversation with Earl about mortgage troubles. And then, as he tends to the wounded officer, puts us in the moment with his character. Allowing us to feel his loneliness.
These moments sell us on his motivation: this is a man willing to risk everything for love. This first act is the emotional foundation for the entire film, and his chemistry with Sherry feels genuine and well-earned. Even with the little time they had to form that connection it was natural.
Novocaine flowed from one plot to the next using well-choreographed fight sequences that didn’t feel repetitive. The bank heist was really well done, surprisingly intense, a sudden turn from the warm romcom tone. The car chase and kitchen fight scenes were right on the money with deliberate pauses. Allowing Nathan’s comedic, quirky charm, similar to his roles in The Boys, disarm the gore and violence. Credit goes to the special effects for adding that touch of horror elements. The type you would only see in the slasher horror genre.
The only real flaw was the balance between action and comedy, which clashed like oil and water during the fight scenes. Don’t get me wrong—certain lines drop the mic, like Nate asking the bank robber if he’s allergic to gluten after smacking him with the dough.
That was clever and funny. But Nate is talking through the fight scenes? That felt forced and took away from the action, which did really well on its own—a symphony interrupted by unwanted narration. The booby-trapped house was a cheap shot at reminding the audience that Nathan can’t feel pain, like waving a neon sign saying “remember his superpower?
Where the film truly stumbles is in the climax, which falters with a rushed conclusion that attempts to pack in excessive action so that Ray Nicholson could have some screen time. He delivers as he always does in these types of roles, carving out a name for himself.
Even though there were moments of greatness from the actors in the last act of the movie, this was the weakest part of the film. Why the need for two endings? Simple lapses undermine the stakes at critical moments, pulling the rug out from under any tension the story had built. The movie worked well for what it wanted to accomplish and if you can look past these frustrations, you can have some laughable moments for a casual movie night.
