- Date of Release: 14 March 2025
- Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller
- Language: English
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Novocaine
Introduction
Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) in the new English film Novocaine might be a distant cousin of Surya (Abhimanyu Dassani) from Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018). This is because the one thread that links the fate of these two protagonist is Congenital Analgesia. In other words, both these character cannot feel pain at all. This trait is exposed early in Novocaine wherein you see Caine accidently spill a jar filled with hot coffee on his hand, that soon changes colour even though the expected reaction of grimace is flattened out. On paper too, Caine remains an interesting character – having a life expectancy of 25, Caine has tactfully crossed the age of 30 but continues to live in solitude while being recluse on the social front. In fact, the only friend in his life is fellow gamer Roscoe (Jacob Batalon) whom he has never met even once in his life. His recurring trace of solitude is further explored through his awkwardness during his frequent run-ins with his banker colleague Sherry (Amber Midthunder). You see him reluctantly agreeing to go on a date with her, almost refraining from consuming a piece of pie given how he could accidently bite off his tongue while not feeling a thing, to further gaining steps of confidence and comfort in his newfound relationship. Yet, this doesn’t necessarily change his outlook of solitude – he continues to remain awkward even while bumping into his classmates while being a punching board for them, even years after high-school. But seldom does Caine know that his congenital shortcoming would soon transform him into a superhero!
Story & Screenplay
Novocaine is as much of an actioner as it is a comedy. While the comedic portions erupt from the situations that Caine finds himself in along with his reaction to them, the action is essentially R-rated, something that you would associate in recent films like Kill (2024) or Marco (2024). In that sense, the storyline of Novocaine remains slender while the writing doesn’t overcomplicate its setup. It is almost like the middle overs in cricket wherein the strike is rotated without much fuss, despite throwing in a couple of match-changing twists along the way. The storyline framework is also similar to films like The Raid (2011) or even Die Hard (1988), wherein the protagonist essentially needs to go from Point A to Point B, for a greater cause. So if you manage the expectations of the story accordingly, you are in for a relentless bout of entertainment that is second to none!
From the perspective of the plot and the characterization, the entire robbery sequence acts as a watershed moment for Caine who upto that point has been docile. In that entire sequence, I liked how the stakes were tactfully raised with the writers not being afraid of piling up bodies. And I say that with caution because this was the incident wherein the tone of the drama had a sudden change from a comedy-drama to a comedy-actioner. The transition needed to be handled well without overlooking the concept that the film was built on. And so, this remained a watershed moment for the writers too even as they chose a narrative to create a passage for the protagonist to move from Point A to Point B, albeit some comedic twists!
The proceedings are trippy particularly during the dual cat and mouse chase that unfolds at various instances. So when Caine chases one of the members from the group who burgled the bank, you still see him in his elements of willing to let him go despite pointing a gun at him, while wanting to know the location of Shelly who has been taken away by the group. This in any other context would be a serious scene, but the writing highlighting the social awkwardness of the protagonist inculcates degrees of dark humour that drives the narrative ahead. This is true even for cops who begin to suspect Caine being a part of the gang – in a scene, you see a cop calling Caine on his cellphone almost certain that ‘the criminal’ won’t receive it, but to their surprise, he does. In that sense, the humour is playful to the point of being self-aware while finding a slot at the most unexpected situations.
There is a rhythm to the writing that doesn’t offer a single dull moment. In fact, the events also successfully highlight the metamorphosis of an individual who is socially awkward to someone who becomes a killing machine. In that sense, even the kills are gory and entertaining that will not only keep you hooked but also will leave you in splits. The case in point being the sequence at a house that is booby-trapped, almost playing out like different levels of a video game (incidently, you see Caine playing one of those early on in the film). It was like a live-simulation of sorts too wherein you get to see Roscoe for the first time, a sequence that doubles up as an account of ‘Winner Winner Chicken Dinner’ while the concept of friendship sharply cutting through the dark humour and gore. It was brilliantly staged!
I must admit that the level of intensity just drops a little at the beginning of the final act that involves a ‘pseudo’ final face-off. And what seemingly seemed like an anti-climax, suddenly transforms itself into a intriguing goosechase with again the writing doing well to steadily raise the stakes in the drama. The events do get gory and violent to the point that you witness one of the most gruesome sequences that I have watched lately, something that was gory but ironically also laced with humour. This was an immensely satisfying finale that tied up all the loose ends together without compromising on the entertainment factor and the gory-comedic tone that was synonymous with the film. The screenplay here may seem predictable (albeit a few unexpected twists and turns) but it majorly works because it stays true to the original tone of the drama without getting carried away.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are laced with dark humour that absolutely hit the bullseye, particularly because of the self-aware depreciating tone tagged to it. Here, the protagonist doesn’t necessarily believe that he is a superhero, and so the humour erupts through the lines assigned to him. The BGM is pulsating and highlights the several ‘written’ high-points in the drama, quite efficiently. The cinematography comprises of frames that do not refrain from shying away from showcasing the gore and violence while maintaining the thread of dark humour through and through. For instance, in a scene you see the protagonist dipping his hands in boiling oil to claim a gun in the fryer, in another you see a character being punctured with an arrow sticking out of the legs of the protagonist. The gore is definitely there with the right dose of dark humour, something that is wonderfully highlighted through the frames. The editing is crisp and sharp that compliments the rhythmic screenplay while never allowing the tempo to dip. Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen manage to create a trippy action entertainer while staying committed to the original source material with respect to humour. The idea was never to create groundbreaking cinema but to literally go all out on the limb with the concept at hand. In that sense, they scored heavily with the characterization that was impressive while subjugating his illness by presenting it as a superpower in the context of the film. And the humour in the film erupts from this very aspect, something that engages you from start to finish thereby making the direction excellent through and through!
Performances
The performances are pretty solid by the members of the cast. Betty Gabriel as the cop is sincere and earnest while having her moments to shine. Jacob Batalon as Roscoe is wonderful with his comic timing that accounts for several laughs despite his late entry in the drama. Evan Hengst as Ben and Conrad Kemp as Andre are wonderful in their respective roles while contributing to the humour of the film in a rather unassuming manner. Ray Nicholson as Simon is intimidating and makes for a worthy nemesis for Caine. Amber Midthunder as Sherry has a stellar screen-presence and contributes really well to the softer intimate moments in the screenplay with Caine, early on in the film. And she adds to some raw intensity in the dying moments of the drama too. Jack Quaid is far from the sinister version of his character in the Companion. In fact as Nathan Caine, he is subdued – a trait that makes him affable. As a result, you are always invested in his journey while being empathetic to his condition. But what you also witness is his metamorphosis wherein he excels in innumerous combat sequences without letting go of his comic trait, that makes for a unique concoction of laughs. He remains brilliant through and through!
Conclusion
Novocaine is an entertaining ‘pain-numbing’ dark comedy packaged as a trippy R-rated actioner that makes for a supremely enjoyable watch. It may not be ground-breaking in any way but it absolutely hits the sweet spot as far as entertainment is concerned. Hell, this may well be one of my favourite theatre going experiences of 2025! Available in a theatre near you (from 14th March’25 onwards) and Highly Recommended!
