Jack Quaid makes his compelling case as Hollywood's next unconventional action star.
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Ever wondered what an action film would be like if its main protagonist has the rare condition of the inability to feel pain (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis or CIPA for short)? You can rest easy now that Novocaine is out in the world.
Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen from a screenplay by Lars Jacobson, Novocaine stars Jack Quaid (The Boys, Companion) as Nathan Caine (aka Novocaine) alongside Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel and Matt Walsh.
Novocaine may sound like a snazzy superhero moniker if you’re unfamiliar with the effects of the drug of the same name. It definitely loses its cool factor when used derogatorily–in Nathan’s case, by bullies who used to tease him in school.
Nathan lives his life with great care to survive – adding ice cubes to his hot coffee to avoid scalding himself, only consuming liquid so as to not bite his tongue from chewing, and setting alarms as toilet break reminders so he doesn’t burst his bladder to name a few – and he’s done well surviving for 20 odd years now, with a decent job to boot. That is, until a botched robbery at his workplace happens and the girl he has eyes for is kidnapped, forcing him to break out of his safety bubble and be the superhero his disorder (somewhat) allows him to be. What ensues is a hilarious and gory high-octane film that’s not short of thrills, punching above its weight for having a less-than-conventional hero.
For someone who doesn’t feel pain, Nathan sure has a lot of empathy and that’s what makes his character more compelling compared to most action film protagonists. It also helps that it’s just the right gateway characteristic to make the boyish Quaid a more believable action star. His easy charm and winning smile is what elevates this otherwise straightforward action flick. That, and a wickedly good Nicholson having too much fun playing the trigger-happy psycho antogonist.
Novocaine is highly entertaining and never misses a beat throughout its runtime. Just be warned that Nathan Caine may not feel pain but his audience definitely will (and by that we mean you will definitely catch yourself squirming in your seat watching him get graphically tortured while he pretends to feel the pain.)
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