‘Novocaine’ Review: The Movie Takes Some Hits But Comes Out Unscathed

The second Jack Quaid starring vehicle to hit theaters this year is Novocaine. The film follows Nathan Caine, a borderline pathetic man who suffers from a disorder that takes away the feeling of pain. Nate is living his life far from the edge, until he meets his dream girl Sherry, played by Amber Midthunder. After she is taken hostage by a group of brutal bank robbers, Nate stops at nothing, taking every hit until he saves his girl. With some fun performances, surprising gore, and clear downfalls, Novocaine is a mixed bag. Read our full review for Novocaine below. 

I am going to be honest I went into Novocaine expecting to feel indifferent, but I actually was pleasantly surprised. This film could have held back in many aspects, yet the directors decided to take it there. Let me be clear, this is a hard R rating. The gore in this film at times comes close to straight body horror. I really admire how they take this simple premise and take it to every level they could think of. Many people in my theater were audibly gasping at some scenes because it is quite unexpected. The marketing of the film shows some gross moments, but for the most part Novocaine looked like a safe but fun movie. It is not the best action movie by any means, but it does stand out for its commitment to its premise. The film does have a mixed tone though. For most of the screen time it is light and cheery with some witty one liners, then it goes to horror movie levels of gore. Honestly I did not hate that, the best parts of the film are when Jack Quaid is getting absolutely torn apart.

Speaking of Jack Quaid, he is quite good in this role. Nothing revolutionary. A million men could play this character and Jack Quaid is serviceable with an every man feel. The main standout of the film is Amber Midthunter. The film actually gives her a lot to play with and it was a pleasant surprise. Her character was given depth and reached far beyond the damsel in distress archetype the trailer made her appear to be. The only actor who fell short for me was Ray Nicholson as the main villain, Simon. He was over acting to a degree that felt a little embarrassing and completely took me out of the film. The film also gives him no substantial backstory that would merit his actions in the film. It seems like the writers resorted to the “He’s just a crazy guy” scapegoat. 

Novocaine has a lot going for it and a lot fighting against it. The screenplay is just okay, the performances are mixed, but that gore. There is also a twist in the film that actually surprised me and subverted my expectations. Novocaine has great marketing, unlike Jack Quaid’s other 2025 film Companion, not giving any plot details past the first thirty minutes away. I would recommend going to see the film because it really is a great time at the theater. I also admire its commitment to how gross it got. There are many movies of this kind that have cheap action that leaves the main actor with a bruise and little cut on their face, but Novocaine leaves Jack Quaid in an abysmal state. Some genuine fun, that I am sure most audiences will enjoy. 

Novocaine is the fifth film by the writer, director duo Dan Berk and Robert Oslen. The film stars Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunter, Ray Nicholson, and Jacob Batalon. Novocaine will be in theaters March 14th. 

Thanks for reading our review of Novocaine! If you liked this article, make sure to check out more reviews here at Feature First.