Novocaine (2025)

Release Date: March 14, 2025
Directors: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
Starring: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh

So I decided to check out Novocaine. With so many films pouring in lately like bottomless cocktails, it’s tough to keep up—but this one caught my eye. I’d seen the trailer and thought it looked decent. Plus, I’d just watched Jack Quaid in Companion, and I was curious to see how he’d do in a more brutal, chaotic kind of role. I poured myself a drink (for the road, metaphorically speaking) and went in.

The Plot: A Pain-Free Guy on a Blood-Soaked Love Bender

Jack Quaid plays Nate Caine, a socially awkward assistant bank manager who suffers from a rare condition—he literally can’t feel pain. At first, it sounds like a party trick. But the more you learn, the more it feels like a waking nightmare. Nate has to set bathroom alarms every few hours so his bladder doesn’t explode and survives on an all-liquid diet so he doesn’t end up chewing through his own tongue. Not exactly a superpower—unless your idea of heroism involves medical supervision and a blender.

Then there's Sherry (Amber Midthunder), a confident, flirty bank teller who actually takes a shine to Nate. They share one wild night together, and just as he’s falling hard, the bank gets robbed by gun-wielding crooks in Santa suits. Chaos erupts, bullets fly, and Sherry is taken hostage. And just like that, Nate—armed with nothing but emotional confusion and a suspicious lack of nerve endings—decides he’s going to get her back.

What follows is a kind of Home Alone meets John Wick chaos spiral, but with more blood and fewer life skills. Nate gets repeatedly smashed, stabbed, burned, and battered, but since he can’t feel pain, he just... keeps going. The guy’s a human punching bag on a mission. And then, mid-way through, the twist: Sherry was in on the heist all along. Cheers to poor life choices, Nate.

The Cast: Quaid’s Got It, Chemistry... Not So Much

Jack Quaid is great here—equal parts desperate, funny, and oddly convincing as a dude with nothing left to lose except maybe his last working limb. He brings a lot of that anxious charm we know from The Boys, but this time there’s more edge, more self-destruction. It’s like watching Hughie with a concussion and a crowbar. Very entertaining.

Amber Midthunder brings attitude as Sherry and delivers early on, but their chemistry doesn’t quite click. You’re told they had a “spark,” but it feels more like static. The romance is supposed to be the heart of all this madness, but let’s be real—this relationship needed a couple more drinks and a lot more screen time to feel believable.

Ray Nicholson is unhinged and fantastic as Simon, one of the masked robbers. He’s got that “deranged ex-boyfriend who never left the rave” energy. Total wildcard, and probably the most fun performance in the film.

Jacob Batalon pops up briefly as Nate’s gamer roommate, Roscoe. It’s a small role and, honestly, kind of wasted. Would’ve loved to see more of him, especially since his scenes gave the film a much-needed breather (and a chance to refill my drink).

The Vibe: Bloody, Weirdly Funny, and Painfully Fun

This is where Novocaine really surprises you. Yes, it’s violent. Yes, it’s often kind of gross. But it’s also cleverly structured and oddly funny in all the right places. The script (by Lars Jacobson) knows when to push the gore and when to pull back just enough to let you laugh. Injuries aren’t just there for shock—they’re often punchlines or clever callbacks.

There’s one scene where Nate literally stabs himself on purpose just to intimidate someone—and you’re half-laughing, half-cringing. It’s that kind of movie. The pain-free gimmick works way better than it has any right to. There’s a rhythm to the chaos, and the directors clearly understand that a movie like this needs some serious control under all the madness.

Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (Villains, Body) come from a horror background, and you can feel it. The tension in the action scenes builds like a slasher flick, and the gore is front and centre, but with style. They let the absurdity breathe without ever losing focus. It’s a weird cocktail, but it goes down surprisingly smooth.

The Ending: A Twist, Then a Wind-Down

The big twist with Sherry being one of the bad guys adds some unexpected flavour, like salt on the rim of a tequila shot. It kicks the story into a sharper, more cynical gear. But after that? The ending doesn’t quite go out with the bang you’d expect. It’s fine—just not as crazy or satisfying as the chaos that came before it. Like getting to the bottom of your drink and realising the mixer did most of the work.

Public Feedback: Mostly Positive with Some Buzz

Audiences seem to be enjoying this one—hovering around 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a lot of viewers are praising the originality, the concept, and Quaid’s performance. Most agree the romance feels a bit forced, and some say it leans too hard into its tonal mash-up. But overall, it’s being received as a bold, fun little detour from the usual action fare.

Controversy: Just a Tone Hangover

No major controversies here. A few critics think it’s trying to do too many things at once—comedy, action, romance, satire—and doesn’t always land the mix. But honestly, that’s part of its charm. It’s messy, sure, but in the way a good night out can be.

Final Thoughts: Take a Shot, You Might Like It

So yeah, Novocaine isn’t a deep, soul-searching epic—it’s a wild, blood-splattered bar fight of a movie. It’s about a guy who can’t feel pain, chasing a girl who wasn’t worth it, getting beat up along the way and somehow becoming a legend for it. It’s weird, funny, violent, and occasionally stupid—but in the best way.

Pour yourself something strong, press play, and enjoy the ride. Just don’t expect to fall in love. That part’s more of a plot device than an emotional arc.

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (7/10)

It’s like taking a shot you weren’t sure about—and then ordering another one anyway. Cheers to that.