Jack Quaid has been steadily making a name for himself since he killed Rue in The Hunger Games but now, he’s taking on his family legacy as a rom-com king. With a bit of an action twist. In comes Novocaine.
The Dan Berk and Robert Olsen film introduces us to Nathan Caine (Quaid), a man who does not feel pain. It means that most of his life is spent living in fear of accidentally getting hurt and dying without knowing he’s hurt. He has so many tattoos and is the kind of man who lives both in fear and uses his lack of pain to his advantage.
But when he meets Sherry (Amber Midthunder), his entire life changes. He’s thrown into a world of pain and action when trying to get her back after a bank robbery takes a hostage in Sherry. His fight to get her back pushes his limits. Look, the trailer has him sticking his hand in a deep fryer and Nathan at the start of the movie wouldn’t even go NEAR one.
While the action sequences are great and Quaid does them with ease, it really is the romance between Nathan and Sherry that makes this movie as sweet as it is.
Nothing wrong with a deep fried love story
Nathan and Sherry’s love story is what drives all of Novocaine. She’s missing and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to find answers, including eating solid food and punching guys. Oh and pretending like he can actually feel pain when he ends up getting tortured by a guy.
But at any point during this movie, we could have easily watched this cute little love turn sour and even with twists and turns about who these characters all are, it still is just a sweet little romantic story between them. Call me a sucker but watching two people fall in love through outrageous means works for me. It is also why Novocaine is more than just your standard action film.
If Nathan was forced to go on this journey without Sherry being involved, it wouldn’t have as much heart as Novocaine ends up having and I think that’s what makes it really special.
Two men behind the chair is better than none
This truly is Nathan and Sherry’s story but the supporting cast of Novocaine is also incredible. Ray Nicholson plays Simon, one of the bank robbers who takes Sherry hostage, and it leads to a great battle between iconic Hollywood bloodlines by the end of the film that I cannot stop thinking about. While Simon and Sherry’s storyline continues to paint where our film will conclude, Nathan and his only friend, Roscoe (Jacob Batalon) end up working together and Roscoe is his “guy in the chair.”
Yes, Jacob Batalon is yet another guy in the chair and I loved every second of it. But the two characters really worked to fill in both the rom-com elements of Nathan and Sherry’s world as well as the action sequences, leaving Novocaine as a well balanced mix of genres.
Overall, this movie is exactly what you think it is going to be. It is fun, chaotic, and has some amazing fights to enjoy but I think it really shines in the romance department and I cannot wait for you all to meet Nathan and Sherry!
Published: Mar 11, 2025 07:04 pm