Novocaine (2025) Review- Everybody is hiding something

This movie is seriously one of those movies that contain never-ending humour in an action-packed thriller, which makes for a joyous ride of adrenaline-like laughter even through moments of sheer pain.

Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid) is a mild-mannered introverted bank executive with a rare disorder, congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP). When a bank robbery goes south and his girlfriend Sherry (Amber Midthunder) is taken hostage, he uses his inability to feel pain as his strength to defeat the enemies and save his girlfriend. But this is a thriller movie, so don’t take this plot at face value.

Nathan has a cool exterior but battles his own demons due to his inability to feel pain. He wants to eat, but can’t eat without the fear of biting off his tongue. He wants to date, but can’t date because he needs to let the girl in on his secret and she might freak out.

But one day, when the right girl walks into his life, everything changes. She convinces him to try eating the best cherry pie in the world, shouldering the responsibility if there are any gruesome consequences. She wins over his heart by defending him against his childhood bully who suddenly shows up in a bar. He falls madly in love with her. But she has her own set of secrets. As she says in a dialogue, “Everybody is hiding something.”

Contrary to its clichéd “man who feels no pain” idea, ‘Novocaine’ has deeper depth. With a girlfriend who skillfully overcomes the damsel-in-distress accusations and an original hero akin to John Wick, this film revitalizes outdated concepts. It is brimming with creative action set pieces that alternate between being hilarious, gruesome, and occasionally both.

Jack Quaid’s performance is quite impressive. If I wasn’t a fan of his earlier, I certainly have become one since I watched this one! He is perfect as the geeky nerd, who awkwardly tries to exist in a world of surety. As his girlfriend, Amber Midthunder delivers a seductive, sleek, enigmatic, and yet emotional performance.

For some reason, this felt a lot like an action-packed fun holiday movie with a dose of love. Great as a one-time watch!