Well, folks. Jack Quaid just dropped another instant classic on us. Earlier in the year, he starred in the incredible sexbot comedy-thriller, Companion. Now he’s back two months later with Novocaine, an action-comedy that plays like a Nicecore version of Crank. It has bigger laughs than most straight-up comedies and has better gore than your average horror flick.
Like I said, instant classic.
Quaid stars as a meek bank teller who has a rare medical condition that prevents him from feeling pain. When his coworker (Amber Midthunder from Prey) asks him out on a date, he instantly falls head over heels for her. The next day (Christmas Eve, no less), a trio of thieves rob the bank and take her hostage. It’s then up to Jack to save her as he uses his inability to feel pain to gain the upper hand on the hardened violent criminals.
The charm of the movie lies with just how refreshingly innocent and sheltered its hero is. He’s just a likeable schmo who doesn’t eat solid food for fear of biting off his own tongue. All that goes out the window when the gal of his dreams is kidnapped. Much of the humor is courtesy of Quaid’s nice guy character being pummeled to a bloody pulp and yet, he keeps returning for seconds and thirds. In fact, since he can’t feel pain, he often doesn’t even change expression and continues with his conversation as he’s being wailed on. Some of his injuries are downright ghastly too, but often the worse the injury, the bigger the laugh.
Among the highlights is the kitchen fight where Quaid unwittingly deep fries his hand. There’s another great bit where he’s being tortured by one of the robbers and has to feign being hurt, even when his nails are being ripped out. The scene that really endears him to the audience is when he fights a giant tattoo artist. After he’s thrown through a glass case, he furiously punches the shards to make his knuckles into deadly weapons. I mean when Van Damme fought with glass knuckles in Bloodspor,t he had to use gauze and glue. Quaid just smooshes the glass right into his skin.
Novocaine is a blast of adrenaline from start to finish. It’s fresh and funny and has plenty of crowd-pleasing moments of action hilarity and gnarly body horror carnage. If Companion didn’t make Quaid a star, I truly hope this does.
AKA: Mr. No Pain.
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