Overcoming any pain. Review of the movie Novocaine

We have long been accustomed to situations where characters in various works of art do not feel pain. Usually this is due to superpowers or simply the conventions of the genre, when there is no time for pain, because you have to go into battle again and again. But in reality there are also situations when a person does not feel pain at all. They are associated with an extremely rare disease, and everything is not very cheerful with it: a person who is unable to feel pain can die from a huge number of wounds that he will inflict on himself - and not notice it. Another proof that pain is an important and constant companion of our lives.

The main character of the film Novocaine is suffering from congenital analgesia, he is unable to feel pain. However, fate forces him to turn into a far from typical, but still an action hero. The result is one of the best action films in recent times, which is not afraid to use templates and turn them into a spectacle that is impossible to tear yourself away from.

Assistant bank manager Nathan Kane (Jack Quaid) has had a rare genetic disorder since childhood and does not feel pain. Because of this, his parents literally locked him up at home to protect him from all the dangers of the world, because doctors said that on average, people with such a disease live no more than 25 years. Nathan managed to live to be 30, but only thanks to solitude and introversion. However, working at the bank brings him together with a girl, Sherry (Amber Midfunder), with whom Kane falls in love almost immediately, and she reciprocates. The main character's newfound idyll is destroyed by a bank robbery, during which Sherry becomes a hostage of the robbers. The criminals manage to escape with the girl, and Nathan, thanks to the power of his newfound love, is determined to find her, even if he has to get his hands dirty in blood and go against the law. A person who does not feel pain will definitely have an easier time with this.

The tandem of directors Dan Burke and Robert Olson seems to know that people have long been accustomed to immortal action heroes who can get away with even the most serious injuries. Therefore, the central concept of Novocaine is already intriguing. However, one idea is not enough - you also need to be able to competently present it. However, throw away all worries, because the film crew of "Novocaine" coped well with almost all the tasks set.

This is facilitated by the compactness of the story. The entire conflict takes place between the main character and only three robbers, - one of them is also extremely charismatic, it is worth noting - the motivation is the classic "damsel in distress". Everything is simple and clear. There is a place in the script for additional characters, but they seem to slightly detract from the main emphasis of the story and feel more like directorial tools than full-fledged heroes. However, the film does not pretend to be too serious, so some comedic digression can still be allowed.

However, the main element of Novocaine always remains pain. Kane is a peace-loving person, but love pushes him to desperate actions. Which lead to extreme cruelty and severe physical injuries for the protagonist. Especially vulnerable people will definitely have a hard time watching "Novocaine", because the violence in the film is a sea and it is as naturalistic as possible.

For example, the main character, without further ado, takes a hot frying pan and puts his hand into boiling oil. And the audience will have to watch all the painful transformations of Nathan's body. The film crew did a great job on the burns, cuts, fractures and other injuries of the main character. At the same time, cruelty does not become a fetish, as it was in the worst parts of Saw and various body horrors. It is sometimes quite grotesque, and even downright funny, so it fits perfectly into the overall tone of the film.

In some scenes, it seems like you're watching an extremely realistic Tom and Jerry series – and that's more of a compliment. The Novocaine team has managed to beautifully combine various scenes and entire genres into an inseparable story. The lack of pain in the main character even turns situations we've seen hundreds of times into something more spectacular and unconventional. However, the film doesn't stop there.

Its very foundation, consisting of a robbery and a romantic line, quickly turns from a standard situation into something not so familiar. "Novocaine" / Novocaine is not afraid to surprise and shock the audience on many levels at once, which is definitely not expected from a relatively simple, at first glance, movie. Laconic films that know how to surprise are always one of the best things that cinema can give. Last year's Strange Darling proved this.

At the same time, the main concept of Novocaine can also become a cause of controversy and discussion in the context of "plot holes". After all, the inability to feel pain and the life circumstances associated with it are sometimes used too carelessly by the film. And here either the authors did not have enough more detailed verification of the material, or the film does not reveal all the nuances to the audience, which may cause serious questions in them.

However, Novocaine is definitely not the kind of story that you want to take apart for parts again. It entertains, shocks, and surprises so well that you can forgive some problems with logic and secondary characters without much hesitation. It is precisely such stories, far from perfect, but with interesting ideas and worthy implementation, that often win the hearts of viewers. Therefore, Novocaine can be recommended to almost everyone. The exception is if you are very afraid of the sight of blood and wounds.