Jack Quaid stars as Nate in Novocaine.
Novocaine
Apple Cinema Xtreme
Hartford
March 19, 2025
Bank assistant Nate (Jack Quaid) is a typical everyday guy, except that he suffers from a rare condition called congenital insensitivity to pain and anhidrosis, or CIPA. He hits it off one day with his coworker Sherry (Amber Midthunder), and after a great date, the next day the bank is robbed and Sherry is taken hostage. It’s up to Nate and his small but stalwart group of allies to save her from the murderous bandits.
That’s the standard plot in the new comedy Novocaine. There are one or two twists to keep things interesting, but nothing major. Instead of plot machinations, Novocaine relies on the charisma of its stars, and a genuinely funny script.
Writer Lars Jacobson delivers laugh-out-loud lines for Quaid, Midthunder and Batalon, while keeping the cops likable and the bank robbers despicable. I don’t want to give away any of the gags, but suffice to say that the film leans into both the physical comedy of Nate’s condition, but also the pure fun that the performers seem to be having with each other.
That’s where the charisma of the leads come in. Amber Midthunder, who rose to prominence in 2022’s Hulu exclusive Prey, plays Sherry with wit and humor. She’s off camera a little more than I would like; the chemistry with Quaid is enjoyable as the two play off each other’s banter.
Jacob Batalon does a great job as Quaid’s only friend, Roscoe. When he’s revealed, my reaction was, “That’s the guy from Spiderman!” and the film subtly lampshades his fame. Wwhile Roscoe is similar to the character Ned Leeds that Batalon plays in the Spiderman films, he’s juiced up enough to fit into the rated R world of Novocaine.
At the end of the day, the movie rests on Jack Quaid’s shoulders. He more than delivers. It’s hard to believe, but Quaid is still considered something of an underdog in Hollywood, despite his main roles in The Boys and the recently concluded Star Trek: Lower Decks (which I loved him in). While the character Nate falls in line with his characters from those other projects, Quaid completely throws himself into the humor and physicality of Novocaine. His squeals as he gets knocked around in increasingly bizarre scenarios are hilarious, and his banter is funny without feeling forced. When it comes time for Nate to do badass things, Quaid plays those scenes well too.
The other star of the film is the gore. When the premise of a film is based on a character’s inability to feel pain, you can bet on that “gift” being put to good use. Novocaine hits a perfect balance between slapstick physical comedy and gross out mutilation. It never goes over the top like a Tarantino film, which is good because it makes the few scenes of true brutality really hit. I cringed in my seat more than once, but in the giddy “I can’t believe they did that!” way that kept the film’s conceit fresh and exciting.
It can be easy to get caught up in the prestige aspect of films, where the questions are how many awards will a film receive or how much will it make at the box office. But there’s still a need for the brisk, action comedy romp that surprises you with how long it lingers in your memory. Novocaine perfectly fits that bill. You should go see it in theaters now, and I promise it’ll become one of those movies you throw on again and again when it comes to streaming services.
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Novocaine is playing in wide release at theaters.
Jamil is off the rest of the week. See you next week!
Amber Midthunder as Sherry