Modern Action Movies Could Learn this Very Important Lesson From ‘Novocaine’

Although there are likely more action films being made today than there ever have been before in history, there’s a rather shocking lack of brutality when compared to what the genre looked like in the 1990s. Ignoring the rare, generational classics like John Wick or Mad Max: Fury Road, many action films are afraid to ever show their protagonists in a vulnerable position; it’s become impossible to invest in the complete silliness of franchises like The Fast and the Furious and Taken because of the ways in which they defy logic, but even R-rated sagas like The Equalizer and Extraction feel oddly toothless. Novocaine proved to be a terrific satire of the action genre, as it examined the reality of what it would be like for a hero to literally not feel any pain. Even if it was pitched in a more comedic register, Novocaine features the creative graphic violence that the action genre is sorely missing right now.

‘Novocaine’ Embraces the Freedom of Blood and Gore

The conceit behind Novocaine is somewhat brilliant; Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) is a mild-mannered employee of a bank who takes it upon himself to become a hero after his girlfriend Sherry (Amber Midthunter) is kidnapped by a gang of robbers. Nathan has a congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, but it’s a condition that is not as advantageous as it sounds; he can still be wounded, but his body isn’t able to produce a reaction that would make him aware that his life was in danger. However, the fact that Nathan doesn’t go through physical trauma means that Novocaine is able to feature a shocking amount of brutality, with some death sequences feeling like they approach the body horror genre. Although this may have been more challenging to accept if Nathan was in a constant state of misery, his condition allows him to still have the same snarky, charismatic attitude that makes for a great action hero.

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Action films need to be visceral in order to succeed, as it becomes increasingly hard to have any emotional investment when there is not a tangible sense of logic. Novocaine acknowledges that “movie logic” does not always apply, as Nathan can walk away from critical sequences with devastating injuries; the fact that he can be wounded also means that seeing the villains dispatched in such ruthless fashion becomes even more satisfying. Novocaine is effective because of its relatively small scale, as it is not trying to be a global action epic in the vein of a Mission: Impossible or James Bond film; however, the film is able to have its own unique attitude through the use of dark humor, particularly when Nathan inadvertently inflicts serious damage on his opponents. The fact that Nathan, a bumbling, awkward character, is the one that is causing so much damage gives Novocaine a healthy sense of humor.

The Stakes of ‘Novocaine’ Feel Very Real

Although the elaborate death scenes produce some of the film’s greatest laughs, Novocaine uses its brutality to help escalate the tension, as it is important to show the consequences of being involved in such dangerous situations. Nathan is put in several positions in which his body simply isn’t able to function because of the wounds that it has sustained; this isn’t just dangerous for him but means that he could fail to rescue Sherry in time. The relatively short timeframe of the film means that the blood and gore escalate, as Nathan does not have the time to heal from any of his injuries. Seeing him try to complete his mission, despite being relentlessly tortured and beaten, makes the thrilling final action sequence even more rewarding than it would have been otherwise.

Blood and gore need to be normalized within action films, as it’s odd to see that the genre has ignored something that would seem so inherent. While not every action film needs to feature the heightened, over-the-top carnage of a Deadpool sequel, to not acknowledge any sort of tangible bodily harm makes the genre feel even more unrealistic. Novocaine is a fun satire that manages to reorient recurring tropes within action cinema, but it also points towards what the genre should be aiming for within the sequel.

Novocaine

Release Date

March 14, 2025

Runtime

109 minutes

Director

Dan Berk, Robert Olsen

Writers

Lars Jacobson