Novocaine is an action rom-com that pulls off everything that Love Hurts tried to do a few weeks earlier. The humor lands, the leads have great romantic chemistry, and the action looks like it really hurts, despite the fact our hero feels no pain. On The Boys, Jack Quaid plays an average nice guy constantly surrounded by extreme violence. He finds himself in a similar role here. Of course, Hughie Campbell doesn’t have any superpowers. Nathan Caine does… kind of. By day, Nathan is a mild-mannered assistant bank manager. By night, Nathan is still a mild-mannered nobody who spends his time playing video games.
What sets Nathan apart from other nice guys is that he can’t feel physical pain due to a rare condition. He could burn his skin, bite off his tongue, break every bone in his body, and still not feel a thing. That said, he’d still have third-degree burns, no tongue, and a whole lot of internal bleeding. Nathan chooses not to take the superhero route, although he does help bank patrons about to be foreclosed on. It’s a very Mr. Incredible move. While Nathan can take a punch, he’s more emotionally guarded. He lets down his defenses after catching the attention of dream girl Sherry, played by Amber Midthunder from Prey.
It isn’t long until Sherry pops Nathan’s cherry. At first, you might ask what the outgoing Sherry sees in the introverted Nathan. While it makes more sense as the plot unfolds, Novocaine does a good job of establishing a genuine connection between these two. Much of the credit goes to the leads, who make for an adorable pair. There’s depth to the relationship as well. Both have been scarred physically and beneath the skin, showing each other what they usually conceal. Balancing each other out, Nathan helps Sherry to slow down while she inspires him to take chances.
Nathan takes a huge risk when armed Santas rob the bank with Sherry becoming their hostage. Two cops played by Betty Gabriel and Matt Walsh are on the case, but Nathan is already a step ahead of them. “Borrowing” a cop’s car and gun, Nathan goes after the robbers. Their leader is Ray Nicholson, son of Jack Nicholson. Nicholson showed off the devilish grin he inherited in Smile 2. Novocaine is another showcase for Nicholson, who plays an unhinged SOB we love to hate. He’s an intimidating villain, but you get the sense Nicholson is enjoying every moment on screen.
Jacob Batalon of the Spider-Man movies also has a fun supporting role, but Novocaine is primarily Quaid’s show. He hits all the right notes as an everyman who knows he’s heading into a dangerous situation, yet, is often oblivious of the pain being inflicted upon him. Ironically, the beatings that Nathan endures are more painful for the audience, especially if you’re squeamish. Even at its most violent, Novocaine is a charming love story with two leads we want to see together. If I have one complaint, it’s that the film takes place around Christmastime, but got settled with a March release. Thankfully, it’ll be available to stream by the holidays. Dan Berk and Robert Olsen have made a movie that’ll play well along with Die Hard and the works of Shane Black. While it’s only somewhat Christmas-relatable, Novocaine will leave you feeling anything other than numb.