After spending four seasons playing a Good Guy who gets pushed around by superheroes in The Boys, now Jack Quaid gets a chance to play a superhero-like Good Guy himself and throws his own punches (and a lot more).
In Novocaine, Quaid plays a bank assistant manager who is afflicted by a disability where he has no pain receptors – but in turn, works very well like a superpower, giving him the upper hand in combat without being slowed down by the pain of his injuries when most people would have tapped out, or, started crying. This makes his character Nathan Caine appear almost inhuman, despite being your everyday average man who has probably never even hurt a fly.
And just like most leading men in films, his motivation comes in the form of a gorgeous Sherry Margrave, played by Amber Midthunder, who gets kidnapped during a robbery at the bank. Singularly focused on rescuing her, Caine goes through hoops and loops that somehow transforms him into John Wick along the way.
Filmmaker duo Dan Berk and Robert Olsen find the sweet spot between comedy and thriller, striking just the right balance – something they have done before in their 2019 dark comedy film Villains. The pacing is also done right – it’s always hit after hit after hit, and never a dull moment. It stays below the two-hour mark, yet makes you feel like barely any time has passed since the opening scene. And, among all the blood and violence, here is a trigger warning for self-harm.
It’s worth noting that congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, aka CIPA, is a real thing. This rare disease affects fewer than one in 100 million people, and is being depicted delicately and accurately in the film. Some examples: Caine doesn’t eat solid food as he could bite off his own tongue without realising it, and has to set an alarm to remind him to use the bathroom or his bladder would burst.
Quaid has had a fun couple of years with Scream, The Boys, and Companion – all of which feature him spattered heavily with blood. He is also proving himself to be one of the most reliable nepo babies out there – in fact, he’s proving that he can rise above the nepo baby label itself. The only son of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, he is earning his keep with his talent and hardwork, and will likely stick around in Hollywood for a long time to come.
Check out Novocaine at your nearest cinema outlet!
*Cover image via Paramount Pictures
