Amber Midthunder and Jack Quaid
Jack Quaid seems to be making the most of his break between shooting seasons of “The Boys.” Recently starring in “Companion,” one of the early really good films of the year, he’s back in “Novocaine,” another entertaining genre romp with generous helpings of humor.
Quaid stars as Nathan Caine, a mild-mannered introvert who’s an assistant manager at a bank, who plays games online with his friend Roscoe (Jacob Batalon, Ned from the Marvel Cinematic Universe “Spider-Man” movies), and enjoys a variety of hobbies (he has an impressive bookshelf).
A bit of a shut-in, as well, and his home looks babyproofed, because Nathan suffers from a genetic disorder by which he can feel no pain. So he wouldn’t be able to tell if he was grievously wounded, or if his internal organs are acting up, or if his head or stomach is aching something awful. It’s why he only imbibes liquid food, because he’s afraid he’ll bite off his own tongue and not know about it until it’s too late.
Nathan’s life takes its most exciting turn when he meets Sherry (Amber Midthunder, “Prey,” “Legion”), a new hire at the bank. An accidental spill at the office leads to them having lunch, which leads to a night out (extremely rare for Nathan), where sparks fly, and it becomes unforgettable.
The next day, Nathan’s bank gets robbed, and the robbers take Sherry hostage as they make their getaway. Naturally, Nathan gives chase when the cops are unable, commandeering a police cruiser to pursue the men who’ve abducted his potential One True Love.
Challenging gauntlet
Jack Quaid as Nathan Caine in “Novocaine” —CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
“Hijinks ensue” seems inadequate for what happens over the course of the next 70 minutes, as Nathan goes through a gauntlet of challenges that threaten constantly to end his life. But his dogged determination, some luck, and mostly his inability to not feel what must be excruciating amounts of pain leads him through a madcap journey to get to Sherry.
On the way he actually meets his online friend Roscoe in the flesh, roughs up a bodybuilder-looking tattoo artist, and oh yes, also avoids the cops, who suspect he may be in cahoots with the robbers.
“Novocaine” gets a lot out of its premise, and lots of laughs to go with it. The initial fight Nathan has with one of the robbers he chases down introduces audiences to what we’re in for, as the ex-military bad guy registers utter confusion when he deals out violent abuse and Nathan’s stream of conversation barely slows down. Seeing the frustration on his face is funny enough, but the filmmakers don’t milk it.
Another encounter hilariously requires Quaid to do some fine work pretending to be hurt as he is being tortured, enduring what he easily can to extract some information from his torturer.
The film is not for the squeamish. Lots of terrible things happen to Nathan and his antagonists, involving arrows, boiling oil, shards of glass, knives, bullets, and even a flail. The body endures a lot and it’s in graphic detail and also the source of some of the (decidedly) black humor.
Nathan also gets an assist from two inept cops played by Betty Gabriel and Matt Walsh, and they provide some great laughs as well (especially “Veep”’s Walsh). The players and some inventive set pieces elevate “Novocaine” from what could’ve been standard B-movie fare to a fun cult favorite in the making. —Contributed