Novocaine movie review: Jack Quaid feels no pain going from mild to mad in action thriller
3/5 stars
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Characters who are impervious to pain, or have an exceptionally high pain threshold, have become increasingly ubiquitous in a cinematic landscape dominated by superheroes and comic-book characters like Deadpool and Wolverine.
Similarly, with infrastructure now firmly in place in the film industry to transform the gangliest of thespians into a shredded war machine, a new subgenre built around everyday action heroes has found lasting commercial success.
Novocaine, from directing duo Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, draws from both phenomena, presenting a mild-mannered bank manager with a rare congenital nerve condition who is forced into action after his girlfriend is kidnapped.
In its opening movements, the film dares to unfold slowly and in unexpected directions.
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Jack Quaid, son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan and the star of hit TV series The Boys, plays Nate Caine, a timid introvert who shies away from hot drinks, solid food and unnecessary human interaction because of his condition.
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