An assistant bank manager–without the ability to feel pain–is the last person one would expect to chase after bank robbers in the new action comedy, Novocaine.

Novocaine features many scenes containing body horror. Even though it’s an action comedy, a good amount of this was too much for my liking. It was enough that I honestly had to cover my eyes or certain parts of the screen while watching. Please keep this in mind as you’re deciding whether or not to see the film.

Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen usually write the films they direct, including 2019’s SXSW-premiering Villains. That’s not the case here. Lars Jacobson’s script went on a journey before it made it to the directing duo. They have a solid grasp of directing the action comedy.

Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) works as an assistant bank manager in San Diego, Calif. He’s the empathetic type, feeling sorry for customers who are not in the best financial position. When he’s not working, he’s usually gaming over the computer with best friend Roscoe (Jacob Batalon)–they’ve never met in person. After going out with a bank teller, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), Nate feels like she would be the girl of his dreams. After all, he takes some huge risks with Sherry by eating solid food. He has no ability to feel pain so he usually sticks to liquids or other soft foods that couldn’t cause a fatal disaster while eating.

While the two are getting to know each other, they have a chance encounter with a previous bully of Nate’s. That’s when Sherry learns of his Novocaine nickname in school. When you think about it, Novocaine makes sense. His last name is Caine and he doesn’t feel any pain because of a genetic disorder, congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP). The disorder is also known as congenital analgesia. According to the film, people with this disorder are not expected to live long. It isn’t just that he cannot feel pain but he doesn’t have the ability to know if temperatures are hot or cold.

Unfortunately for Nate, Sherry gets taken hostage during a bank robbery by a trio of robbers dressed as Santa Claus. Yes, the inciting event takes place on Xmas Eve, hardly the day that police detectives would like to be working on a case. Given that Nate has crushed on Sherry a while, he decides to rescue her. Has he ever shot a gun a day in his life? Is he remotely qualified to shoot a gun? In any event, he doesn’t trust the police to get there in time and steals a police car. Most of the police were shot down while responding to the robbery–hence Nate’s reasoning.

Because of his disorder, Nate is the last person who should be going after the bank robbers. He knows the risks that it entails but it doesn’t stop him from using his condition to his advantage. This condition does not prevent Nate from getting knocked out during a fight. It’s just that he doesn’t feel any of the pain and yet, Lars Jacobson’s script puts him in various situations to take advantage of the comedic gags in Novocaine. Because of his condition, Nate knows just about everything there is to fixing wounds or burns.

Novocaine never becomes a one-note film with Jack Quaid’s everyman being the least likely person to be placed into a Die Hard situation.

DIRECTORS: Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
SCREENWRITER: Lars Jacobson
CAST: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh, Lou Beatty Jr., Evan Hengst, Conrad Kemp, and Jacob Batalon

Paramount Pictures will release Novocaine in theaters on March 14, 2025. Grade: 3/5

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