‘Normal’: Bob Odenkirk Fights His Way Through a Darker Side of the Midwest [SXSW Review]
When Nobody came out in 2021, some were apprehensive about the leap from comedy and drama to action for lead actor Bob Odenkirk. Then, when that film proved a success, it seemed like he was here to stay. Odenkirk has had a career journey like few others, and has some monumental achievements under his belt because of it, but this leap into action has been one of his finest achievements.
Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad (with co-writing credits to Odenkirk), Normal is set in the frozen, snowy landscape of Normal, Minnesota. The film goes to great lengths to establish the normalcy–pardon the pun–of a small Midwestern town. Odenkirk is interim sheriff Ulysses, who is introduced talking to what appears to be his estranged wife. As he starts to acclimate to the town, he begins to see through the cracks in its veneer.
It could be the strange Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler). It could be just the general vibe of the inhabitants, who seem to resent his presence. It also could be the mysterious death of his predecessor, Sheriff Gunderson (a potential nod to the classic Fargo?). Whatever it is, Ulysses goes through the motions of his job attempting to serve the community like any well to do sheriff would. He deals with the mundane calls, and exchanges traumas with characters like Lena Headey’s Moira.
The thing about Odenkirk is that he has such an unassuming presence. He’s an everyman on the outside, but once you put him in these situations you see what he’s capable of. Like Ulysses, who leaves us breadcrumbs throughout the film to his skill set with a firearm. It’s a type of “more than meets the eye” character that makes action films like this thrive.
All is not what it seems
The film takes a sharp turn when Ulysses responds to a bank robbery gone wrong. The chaos is then fully unleashed when his two deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy McLellan) shoot at him, proving that the odd feeling of the town isn’t just in his head. Now, with his only allies the two failed robbers Lori and Keith (Rena Jolly and Brendan Fletcher), Ulysses must protect both them and himself from the Yakuza, who have infiltrated this town and hidden a cache of gold and weapons in the local bank vault. This of course all ties back into the film’s beginning in Osaka, Japan.
The monochromatic coloring of Winnipeg, Manitoba, lends a realistic feel to the bleak winter Midwestern landscape our characters are set in. Cinematographer Armando Salas uses this to highlight the eventual splashes of red from the bloodbath, the only real coloring this movie has besides the bright neon signs outside the businesses, a stark reality to this landscape.
Normal does tend to have similarities with the Nobody films, but only in the sense that Odenkirk is in genuinely in his element. Normal is infinitely more outrageous thanks to the similarities it shares with another of Kolstad’s works, Free Fire. Both films feature frenzied free-for-alls, and Normal gets to dial that up to eleven.
Take it from a Midwesterner
Odenkirk has been diligent about keeping in shape the past few years, and Normal finds him in top form. In a kitchen fight scene alone he bobs and weaves like a man who has been doing stunts his entire life. He deserves to be in this genre. Don’t let anybody else try to convince you otherwise.
Odenkirk’s contributions to the script gave the film its unique Midwestern flavor. An Illinois native knows the nuances of a specific kind of small town life these citizens would live. The comedy beats were also the strongest, especially in the last 45 minutes when the action is nonstop.
Nestled between the bouts of action, though, are important themes of family and self identity. Gunderson’s estranged child Alex (Jess McLeod) comes back for the funeral despite being unwelcome. Alex’s appearance sparks debates of trans rights and military service, but Normal handles the topics well. It’s a welcome change to the action genre and an indicator of how discussions have changed over the years.
Normal is fun. It’s also high-octane. It’s a great way to spend 90 minutes, especially once its pace picks up. You love these characters, and each turn of the script keeps you locked in. Kolstad amps up small-town values to their extreme endpoints. Odenkirk delivers typical action-hero dialogue in a way that is surprisingly earnest.
It feels like Normal has something for everybody. You go in for the “what is wrong with this town” feeling and stay for the spray of bullets and the flare of dynamite. Odenkirk has absolutely cemented himself in this genre. This one is a film that absolutely needs to be seen in theaters.
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