Original action movies are hard to deliver on, but give credit to screenwriter Lars Jacobson, who offers a fresh, violent, and funny entry to the genre. May we continue to see this type of creativity. And for all my fellow Die Hard fans… Novocaine is indeed an unintentional Christmas movie.

After a sleepy start to the 2025 movie slate, Novocaine is a high octane genre blend of action, comedy, romance, and body horror that arrives on the scene like a fresh shot of adrenaline. Jack Quaid stars as Nathan Caine, a cautious assistant manager of a credit union who becomes a reluctant hero after bank robbers kidnap his newfound love interest, Sherry, played by Amber Midhunter. The catch? Nathan Caine can’t feel any pain. Think Francis from Deadpool. Where so much of the great action movies of recent years have come from franchises and sequels, Novocaine stands out from the rest as a fresh, original action that is backed up by great performances, brutal action scenes, and a refreshingly earnest love story at its core. 

The directing duo of Dan Berk and Robert Olsen are no strangers to blending genres in their movies. Their movie Villains combined black comedy with horrow, while Significant Other blends sci-fi and horror. Stepping out from horror, they step into the action genre like they’ve been doing it for years. In collaboration with stunt coordinator Kerry Gregg, they craft equally kinetic yet merciless action scenes that demonstrate the price for an inexperienced fighter who doesn’t feel any pain. Every blow is felt and every object that can be used as a weapon is cleverly yet cruelly utilized. For better or worse, there are some final knockout moves I will never unsee.

Speaking of the comedy, Novocaine acts as a great comedy. Many of the action set pieces are just as brutal as they are laugh out funny. Much of that is thanks in no small part to Quaid’s physical comedy that’s compatible with Nate’s sheltered awkwardness. In addition to this, Jacob Batalon and Matt Walsh are comedic standouts with their line delivery and pitch perfect timing. Batalon plays Nate’s online gaming friend, Roscoe, who also gets his fair share of action when he comes to free Nate from a house filled with death traps. 

As mentioned at the beginning, at the center of Novocaine is a love story between Nate and his coworker, Sherry. When she takes an interest in him, Nate is inspired by one of his clients to take a risk and go out to lunch with her. Sherry pushes Nate’s usual boundaries, which forces him to reveal to her his condition. What he sees as a barrier to really living, she sees it as a superpower. Although the pair get together quickly, Nate and Sherry do so only after they get vulnerable with each other. Nate reveals how he was bullied in school for his condition, earning the nickname “Novocaine” by his classmates. He’s taken to tattooing his body to create his own story. Meanwhile, Sherry moved around from place to place in the foster care system until she was adopted by a not-so loving household. Once she and Nate start to become intimate, Sherry removes her shirt revealing scars from cutting all over her abdomen. Instead of being horrified, Nate calls Sherry beautiful. Later in the movie when Nate comes to learn another secret about Sherry, he doesn’t keep that from loving her and fighting for her safety. Quaid and Midhunter really sell the chemistry between this budding couple. 

If there’s one criticism holding Novocaine back from being perfect, it does come down to pacing. Towards the middle as it heads into the final act, the movie starts to lose its steam. Part of that is due to the primary antagonists and their timeline for escape. After two of the three bank robbers are dealt with by Nate, there’s a little lull before rounding into the action-packed climax, which features impressive car stunts and an epic final showdown. Action movies can’t be all action every scene; there does need to be some slower character-driven moments. However, the lull is noticeable in an otherwise tight 110 minute movie. 

Novocaine lives and dies by its lead actor, Jack Quaid. After being part of critically acclaimed ensemble projects like 2022’s Scream and Best Picture winner Oppenheimer, Quaid proves himself to be a leading man. It’s hard not to compare his performance as Nathan to Hughie from The Boys, but he plays adorkable yet badass well. Although Hughie has been developed over the course of four seasons of TV, Quaid sells Nathan as the inexperienced, determined hero that Sherry and San Diego didn’t know they needed. Given his body of work, Novocaine is its own resume for the range Quaid is capable of and should have studio executives ready to cast him as their next leading man.

Novocaine joins the ranks of other great action genre blend movies like Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz and the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once. Even with some pacing issues, you will get exactly what you paid for with this movie. There’s something to enjoy for everyone– whether it’s the fight scenes, comedic gems, or its central love story. Original action movies are hard to deliver on, but give credit to screenwriter Lars Jacobson, who offers a fresh, violent, and funny entry to the genre. May we continue to see this type of creativity. And for all my fellow Die Hard fans… Novocaine is indeed an unintentional Christmas movie.

Grade: A-

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: None

Where to Watch: In Theaters