Despite varying levels of success, the first quarter of 2025 has been notable for delivering some truly creative (and often bizarre) genre mashups. Novocaine joins Heart Eyes, Companion (which also featured Jack Quaid), and Love Hurts in a string of films that attempt to blend romance with unexpected twists. While most of these experiments haven’t exactly resulted in great films, it’s at least refreshing to see Hollywood trying something new with traditionally formulaic genres. This time, we get a romance spliced into a Taken-style action thriller, featuring a protagonist who literally cannot feel pain.
Jack Quaid stars as Nathan Caine, a bank executive with congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP), whose romance with his depressed coworker Sherry (Amber Midthunder) is cut short when she’s kidnapped the morning after their first date. With no combat training and no real toughness beyond his inability to register injuries, Nathan embarks on a dangerous rescue mission, turning what would normally be a major disadvantage into his greatest asset.
Despite the inherently goofy premise, Novocaine is tons of fun. It takes a little time to get going, and the first act leans too heavily into Nathan’s hyper-cautious lifestyle (not biting into pie because he’s afraid of accidentally biting off his tongue feels like a stretch). But once the kidnapping happens, and Nathan has to face off against Sherry’s three captors, the film only gets better.
One of the smartest decisions Novocaine makes is keeping the number of villains small, there are only four major action setpieces, which means no faceless henchmen and no implausible mass brawls. Nathan’s fights never feel easy, and directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen keep escalating the stakes in inventive ways. The action choreography makes fantastic use of Nathan’s condition, selling the idea that this otherwise dorky guy might actually have a shot at survival. There are some clever moments that fully utilize his “abilities,” particularly in his fight against a muscular tattoo artist, a confrontation that concludes in a satisfyingly unpredictable way.
This is where the movie truly shines, finding fun and squirm-inducing ways to explore what it means to not feel pain. Whether it’s snapping his own fingers to slip out of handcuffs, faking agony while having his nails pulled out, or walking straight through deadly traps without noticing, the film milks its concept for all it’s worth. Some of the more gruesome moments might go too far for the squeamish, but for those on board with its dark humor, it’s a blast.
As the central figure, Jack Quaid delivers another strong performance, fully leaning into his awkward nice-guy persona. He’s perfected this type of role (The Boys remains his best showcase for it), and here, he balances vulnerability, humor, and determination in a way that makes Nathan easy to root for. He and Amber Midthunder have solid chemistry, making their relationship feel genuinely sweet without overplaying the romance. Midthunder also gets some strong moments, while the villains, especially Ray Nicholson, bring an entertaining level of menace to the film. In a short but entertaining role, Jacob Batalon plays Nathan’s only friend, and provides a few solid laughs in between the film’s brutal fight sequences.
The film does feature one major twist, but it doesn’t quite elevate the story, if anything, it might have worked better without it. Still, beyond that, Novocaine is a film that wins you over with its commitment to pushing its ridiculous premise to the limit. By fully embracing its central concept and delivering a mix of well-staged action and darkly funny, wince-inducing moments, it proves that there’s still room for creative, absurd fun in the action-comedy genre. Just avoid it if you don’t deal well with the sound of bones cracking.
- 1. Sinners
- 2. Shepherds (Bergers)
- 3. The Ballad of Wallis Island
- 4. Kiss of the Spider Woman
- 5. One of Them Days
- 23. Novocaine
- Where to watch
Netflix- Where to watch
- Netflix
Play trailer
- Original title
- Novocaine
- Director
- Dan Berk, Robert Olsen
- Cast
- Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh, Jacob Batalon, Conrad Kemp, Evan Hengst
- Rated
- 14A
- Screenwriter
- Lars Jacobson, Karl Schulschenk
- Composer
- Lorne Balfe, Andrew Kawczynski
- Cinematography
- Jacques Jouffret
- Editor
- Christian Wagner
- Country
- Language
- English
- Budget
- $18 million
- Box office
- $34.536 million