When I first sat in the chair after using my movie review pass, I didn’t know what to expect. After the customary “turn your phones off or we’ll take them” and “recording is a crime” spiel, the lights dimmed, I leaned back and the movie started. What you’re going to read is a brief synopsis and then a spoiler filled review so stick to the first paragraph if you want to see it for yourself and keep reading if you don’t care. You’ve been warned. 

The movie as a whole was awesome. If you like action, it’s for you. If you like a “I have to rescue the woman I love from the evil bad guys any way possible”, it’s for you. If you like bloody action (like me), it’s for you. If you like an actual story driven action movie, it’s for you. In short, you’ll be entertained. Now onto the spoilers:

Nathan Caine (Novocaine) is played by Jack Quaid (The Boys) who lives a pretty depressing life. He makes Smoothies and works as a bank assistant manager. He has a crush on a young lady that works at the bank named Sherry played by Amber Midthunder (Prey) and plays online video games with Roscoe played by Jacob Batalon (Spider-Man Homecoming, Godzilla King of Monsters).

Nathan gets a lunch date with Sherry because she accidentally burns his hand with a coffee and wants to take him out to make it up to him. He orders a milkshake and she orders a slice of pie. Sherry tries to get him to taste some and he gets upset. He lets her (as well as us) know that he was born with some shit wrong with him that makes him unable to feel pain and fears accidentally biting his tongue off and not being able to feel it. This is a cool ass ability, if you ask me.

[Editors note: There is a real condition that causes someone to not feel pain. It is called Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (CIP), also known as Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis (CIPA), and is a rare genetic disorder.]

They go to a bar and get to know each other. After the bully that called him “Novocaine” in school shows up and we delve into how Nathan got beat up everyday because he couldn’t feel pain, the bully eventually gets his comeuppance by Sherry and they leave. They go back to Nathan’s house and close the deal. He makes a “night deposit”…yeah I’m immature so what.

Eventually the bank that Nathan and Sherry work at gets robbed by 3 Santas and away we go! I’m talking non-stop action with blood, burns, gunshots, broken bones, fingernail pulling and a really awesome final kill. I enjoyed the movie immensely. I’d write more but I’ll end up giving away the whole plot. 

I talk more indepth with Lady Shasha about Novocaine and more here:

https://www.youtube.com/live/2AWLfnNGJsQ?si=CPOjPzNU7ZaqJn-I