I remember seeing a sign on a gymnasium wall that said “pain is inevitable, suffering is optional”, which is a quote by acclaimed author Haruki Murakami (who may find it fascinating that one of his quips has found such an unconventional home, albeit where it is slightly taken out of context), and it’s something that has stuck with me for years. Pain is a fascinating idea – we’re creatures that go through life hoping to experience as little pain as possible, whether physical or emotional, but yet it is something that we are all going to encounter at some point, hopefully with as little intensity as possible. It’s also not a subject that has been entirely well-represented in art – outside of emotional turmoil, representing pain can be a challenging task, especially if an artist isn’t particularly interested in the more torturous aspects. However, when done right it can be exceptionally interesting, as we can see in the case of Novocaine, a film directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen (who are slowly making a name for themselves as tremendously gifted genre filmmakers), who tell the story of Nathan Caine, a mild-mannered banker who has a particular quirk: he’s afflicted with a genetic condition that prevents him from feeling any pain. In most instances, this would be viewed as an entirely positive characteristic – a character even remarks that he is akin to a superhero – but for Nathan, it’s something that brings him very little joy, especially as it limits his quality of life. However, it becomes quite useful after a bank robbery leads to his love interest being kidnapped, leading our hero to take matters into his own hands, rising above his challenges and setting out to save the day, by any means necessary. A film that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still has a few generally compelling elements that keep us invested and engaged, Novocaine is a terrific work that has some solid ideas and an execution strong enough to warrant our undivided attention.

Making a film based around humanity’s relationship with pain is challenging, and writing a response to it is even more difficult since it’s not a topic that necessarily lends itself to much philosophical discussion. Pain is something we all endure, and some are very fortunate to have a high threshold for pain, or in the case of the protagonist of this film have a very rare condition that prevents any pain from being felt at all, which comes with its obstacles. There’s something wonderfully engaging about a film that fixates on a concept that is beyond absurd and somehow makes it feel not only realistic but entirely convincing. There’s a version of this same story that is mangled into an over-the-top, unnecessarily dense (and perhaps even overly dramatic) examination of how a deformity or genetic condition can be a blessing in certain instances, but the directors are smart enough to realize the merits lie not within the concept, but rather how it is explored. Novocaine is a very simple work – it takes place predominantly over a single day, which is immediately a sign that it is attempting to take a more simple approach, and it plays out as a series of setpieces in which the protagonist finds himself growing more involved in a sinister conspiracy, his physical injuries matching with his growing sense of unease at having gotten himself into this situation – but the further he is plunged, the more aware he becomes that he is the only person who can somehow accomplish a seemingly impossible task. The thematic core of this film is quite pedestrian, but not any less engaging, and a large portion of this is the result of the directors knowing exactly how to create a memorable story that reflects deeper themes without becoming too involved in the details, a very effective approach that feels oddly quite resonant after some time.

The anchor for a film like Novocaine is always going to be the person taking on the central role – the concept is good, but it needed someone capable of handling various aspects of the character. It’s an action film, but requires someone an actor who we may not expect to lead such a film – someone like Jason Statham or Dwayne Johnson would never be even vaguely convincing in the part. Instead, the task falls to Jack Quaid, an actor who has been flirting with stardom for a few years, but has only started to ascend to a place where he is showing a lot of promise very recently. In no uncertain terms, Novocaine is a perfect starring vehicle for him – I suspect that it may not be the introduction many viewers have to his work, but will be the one where they finally take note of his name since most of his previous work has been in smaller films or supporting roles where he is playing second fiddle to some bigger star. There’s no such situation here since he’s the focus, and we become quite aware of the reasons why he is continuously cast, which has less to do with his famous parents and more with his inherent talents and bundles of irresistible charisma. His slightly awkward, dopeish charms come in exceptionally handy here, and he commits wholeheartedly to the part, which is not an easy feat – the role requires someone adept at both the witty wordplay and a substantial amount of dialogue, as well as the extreme physicality, both of which Quaid effortlessly masters, to the point where the supporting cast (which includes generational talents like Amber Midthunder and Ray Nicholson) barely register, solely because they are consistently outshone by Quaid, who is phenomenal in the role and will richly deserve this enormous ascent to superstardom as a result of what is a career-defining role.

The most fascinating aspect of Novocaine is not what it says, but rather how it says it, which is what makes it so wonderfully captivating and earnest, as well as genuinely very entertaining. The film functions as a terrific throwback to the fun, engaging action comedies of the past – the most famous actors in the genre would be routinely recruited to lead these films that were filled with wall-to-wall stunts, and a particularly memorable and liberal use of violence as a means to capture something much more elusive that audiences craved to see on screen. There isn’t any overt moral posturing, and there’s a decided lack of justification, which may be frustrating for those who want some kind of logic, not realizing that a film like this is driven less by rational thought and more by the principle of seeing just how far it can push a particular concept before it crosses that moral event horizon that lingers heavily over such stories. More than anything else, Novocaine is a very compelling film because of how committed it is to giving the viewer something unique and revolutionary – there’s nothing particularly challenging about the film, yet it still feels like we’re watching something tailored to our enjoyment, where the over-the-top setpieces increase in entertainment value, and gradually and methodically become more prominent as the film progresses, adding layers to an already compelling narrative. It’s not particularly unique in this approach, but it still offers us something we have rarely seen before in this form, which only makes the work by Berk and Olsen all the more compelling. The violence comes fast and is always memorable, which is exactly what Novocaine offered in the capacity of being a homage to a bygone era in the genre’s history, and something that still lingers very heavily within the culture.

Novocaine is not a particularly serious film, and it’s about as deep as a puddle – but considering we’re in an era where every film occurring within even the most entertaining of genres tends to spend far too much time showcasing its innovation, it a breath of fresh air to find something willing to be absurd just for the sake of it, rather than trying to be more complex than it needed to be, which is exactly the principle against which this film was intent on fighting. There are many reasons to watch this film – Quaid’s effortlessly charismatic performance is one of the main elements that keep the film afloat (and I can see him becoming a far bigger star than either of his already very famous parents, whose own limitations as actors seem to have been entirely eradicated in their son, who is doubly as charismatic and skilled as either of them, proving a rare case of nepotism producing more talented, well-rounded offspring), and he’s complemented wonderfully by the slick, memorable direction that allows the film to move at a breakneck speed, creating a truly memorable, well-defined action comedy that is as thoroughly entertaining as it is deeply captivating, a combination that is not unique to this film, but does indicate just enough dedication to creating something that will enthral a large portion of the audience, providing all the valuable entertainment we could expect from such a wacky but charming premise.