TL;DR – A chaotic ride from start to finish, with a cast that commits to the bit all the way.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Paramount+ service used to view this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Novocaine Review Introduction –

It has been a gangbuster year for action in 2025, and before I write my best-of-2025 list, I knew I had to catch one more action beat from the year, or in this case, a beatdown. Jack Quaid is always a solid lead, as we have seen in the three other films he released this year [Companion, Neighborhood Watch & Heads of State], so it is only fair that we take a look at number four.  

So, to set the scene, Nathan “Novocaine” Caine (Jack Quaid) is, by all respects, just a normal, mild-mannered bank executive, other than the fact that he actually cares about his clients. He is more reserved than you would expect, but that is because he has a nerve issue where he can not feel pain. Which you would think would be a good thing until you realise just how much your interaction with the world is based on that. His self-imposed isolation is brought to a sudden end when he finds a kindred spirit in Sherry Margrave (Amber Midthunder), which is suddenly interrupted by Santa-dressed bank robbers who take Sherry as a hostage. Now, only Novocaine is available to save her.

Action

Of course, this is an action film, so it is only fair to start there, and I was generally impressed with what we got. They play into Novocaine’s, for lack of a better word, ability, and it gets gross because they commit. It also helps that everyone he fights is just the worst, like a Nazi South African tattoo artist for criminals. They use a lot of slow-mo in the battles; some of it works almost as well as what they pulled off in Upgrade, some of it also feels a bit forced. I did like that they shifted up the action in each scene, so it never feels stale.   

Characters

One thing I think we should make clear is that congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a real condition that Jack Quaid is depicting here. While I am not sure how well they do represent it, I will leave that to people who know better. What I will say is that it felt like they did a better job than, say, the Kick-Ass films. Also, Jack Quaid commits to the bit with all his gusto, and by the end, that involved a considerable amount of prosthetic work. Also, it helps that everyone else in the film understood the tone and committed to it.  

Narrative

I would say that most of the narrative weight of the film comes at the start of the movie. Here, we get a sort of slow burn, which is more like one of those wind-up toys that you wind, and wind, and wind, and then release and watch it explode across the ground. There are some twists and turns, for example, the reveal of who Roscoe Dixon (Jacob Batalon) is. However, most of them you can see coming a mile away, which in a film where that mattered would have been an issue, but not so much here.   

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend Novocaine? If you like action films, then I would recommend this one for just how they play with the action in this scenario. The cast is up for the challenge, and the narrative that is there works well. It combines together to be a roller coaster of a film.

Have you watched Novocaine? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Novocaine, we would recommend The Running Man to you because it also brings that same chaotic energy to an action film.  

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Novocaine
Directed by – Dan Berk & Robert Olsen
Written by – Lars Jacobson
Music by – Lorne Balfe & Andrew Kawczynski
Cinematography by – Jacques Jouffret
Edited by – Christian Wagner
Production/Distribution Companies – Infrared Pictures, Safehouse Pictures, Circle of Confusion & Paramount Pictures
Starring – Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh, Conrad Kemp, Evan Hengst, Craig Jackson, Lou Beatty Jr. & Garth Collins
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14A; Germany: 18; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 15; United States: R