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SPOILER WARNING: The following article discusses the ending of Novocaine. So, if you have not yet seen the new action movie and you choose to continue reading, I hope that spoilers do not cause you too much pain.
I think it is safe to say that Jack Quaid is the… uh, Dennis Quaid of his generation, following the release of Novocaine, which, in my opinion, is already his second slam dunk on the 2025 movies schedule after the acclaimed new sci-fi movie, Companion. He leads directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s action-comedy as a mild-mannered bank manager with a rare condition that prevents him from sensing pain, which he uses to his advantage after his new love interest, Sherry (Amber Midthunder), is kidnapped by thieves.
I had a hell of a good time with the funny and often viscerally brutal thriller, which is now in theaters, but – similar to CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg, whose Novocaine review is available to read – I did have a few issues with it. The biggest drawback for me had to do with the central antagonist, who is played by Ray Nicholson. I will get into exactly why in just a moment, but first, let me explain one of the most essential reasons why I enjoyed the film.
Nate’s Upperhand Against Pain-Sensitive Opponents Makes Novocaine Fun
As any great action movie should, Novocaine boasts some pretty awesome fight sequences involving Jack Quaid’s character, Nathan “Nate” Caine. His insensitivity to pain – which is a real condition you can read all about on WebMD – is acknowledged in ways that are often hard to look at but also hard not to laugh at.
Honestly, I think the otherwise well-choreographed stunts might have seemed unremarkable without the caveat that Nate can’t feel the damage he is experiencing. Watching him face off against people who are clearly more qualified fighters but cannot take a hit like he can is what makes the action in Novocaine so uniquely entertaining. That being said, I think the story missed the mark in this particular regard with its big bad.
Simon Becomes Superhuman In Novocaine’s Final Act
The ringleader of the band of thieves that Nate is pursuing is named Simon. Right off the bat, it is clear that this guy is one crazy son of a bitch, showing absolutely no remorse for, and even indulging in, cruel homicidal acts, even when the circumstances of his bank heist give absolutely no reason for such violence. I could not wait to see Nathan give this guy the pummeling he deserves in the final resolution, but the movie did not quite give me that.
While Novocaine’s supporting antagonists all clearly suffer from the pain that Nate causes them, Simon does not seem to pay much mind to most of his moves, which even include shocking him with a defibrillator. It’s as if Berk and Olsen wanted to make the story’s “final boss” equally resilient to pain, but, unless they wanted to go for some twist reveal that Simon also has Nate’s condition, that simply does not make any sense. Normally, I prefer when a movie levels the playing field for the final showdown, but this is a rare case in which it makes for a far less satisfying conclusion.
Otherwise, Ray Nicholson’s Performance Is Fantastic
If not for Simon’s sudden superhuman resilience, I actually think he could have been a perfect bad guy. He is not a particularly multi-layered character like I typically prefer my antagonists to be, but I think he absolutely deserves a spot among the most gloriously over-the-top action movie villains of all time.
Ray Nicholson – who also gave a small but great performance in one of the best horror movies of 2024, Smile 2 – brings a memorably maniacal aura to the role without relying on the fact that he has the face of one of Hollywood’s most memorably maniacal icons: his father, Jack Nicholson. While Simon’s final stand-off with Nate did not impress me like I had hoped, his eventual demise at the end is still very gratifying, and I give all the credit to Nicholson’s committed performance.
You know, I was almost afraid I would have another reason to be disappointed in Novocaine after seeing Amber Midthunder, who has played many badass action roles, demoted to the damsel in distress this time. Of course, they eventually reveal that Sherry is reluctantly in on the bank job and give her a moment to spring into action, so that helped win me over. Maybe she could have a larger role if the movie gets a sequel.