MOVIE REVIEW: NOVOCAINE

 

When the girl of his dreams gets kidnapped, a man turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected advantage as he fights a bunch of thugs to get her back.

Director: Robert Olsen, Dan Berk

Cast: Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh

Release Date: March 14, 2025

Genre: Action, Comedy, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, and language throughout.

Runtime: 1h 50m

Review:

Novocaine is fun, over the top, gimmick driven action film that stays afloat thanks to its gonzo approach and likable turns from Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder.  Directors Robert Olsen and Dan Berk deliver a quirky blend of rom-com moments offset by a series of increasingly gory violence throughout the film.  There are echoes of 2006's frenetic Crank even though this film can't maintain that sort of unbridled manic energy consistently.  There are plenty of high points scattered throughout the film's nearly two-hour runtime which makes for a choppy experience that screams for some judicious editing especially for this kind of film.  When it works it does so because of the well acclimated set pieces that make great use of our living crash test dummy as he pursues his kidnapped love interest.  Jack Quaid brings what's quickly becoming a trademark goofy charm to the role that fits this incredibly sheltered character perfectly.  Quaid makes it easy to root for this character that's totally out of his depth who's more than willing to risk life and limb to rescue the girl that's taken his heart.   Amber Midthunder works well as the love interest here as she's clearly more than just a damsel in distress.  Midthunder gives her character a bit more depth than you'd expect from this sort of role and the film is better for it overall.  The supporting players aren't so lucky as we get a handful of generic police and thug types played by Betty Gabriel, Matt Walsh and Ray Nicholson with only Walsh leaving noticeable mark.  This film also serves as a perfect example of the film's marketing killing most of the surprises and fun it has to offer as the trailer provide a nearly step by step run of the film's best parts leaving very little unseen.  It’s a shame because if you've seen any of the trailers for Novocaine, you've likely seen the best parts of the film as nearly every moment is given away beforehand.   

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: COMPANION

 

A weekend getaway turns bloody and violent when a subservient android that's built for human companionship goes haywire.

Director: Drew Hancock

Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend

Release Date: January 31, 2025

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, and language throughout.

Runtime: 1h 37m

Review:

Companion is a fun, dark dramady that puts a techno twist on the lifecycle of an abusive relationship led by a stellar turn from Sophie Thatcher.  Sleekly shot and well-paced, the film quickly lays out the set up and players before moving into the meat of the action.  Drew Hancock's debut feature shows off an ability to turn on a dime from tense to darkly funny.  It gives the entire film a breezy feel even as the body count continue to increase.  Through it all he never loses focus on Sophie Thatcher's Iris and her "awaking" as the human collection of dullards attempt to complete their master plan.  There aren't many surprises to be had since the story plays out like you'd expect but that doesn't detract much since the cast is strong across the board.  Sophie Thatcher leads the entire thing by naturally cycling through a wide range of emotions as the film goes on.  She's got the kind of screen presence that makes it easy to root for her character as she tries to break free on multiple levels.  Jack Quaid is a fun counterpart since he's able to project his goofy energy along with incel infused anger as he slowly loses control.  Thatcher and Quaid have solid chemistry together that gives their scenes together a sort of rom-com vibe before things turn more twisted.  Harvey Guillén brings his fun and likable persona to his supporting role with his onscreen partner Lukas Gage making for a fun counter point to Quaid and Thatcher's relationship.  Rupert Friend is clearly having a blast, hamming it up as Megan Suri's well-off Russian boyfriend which is a shame since he's got the least screentime of the ensemble.  It all adds up to making Companion the perfect anti Rom-Com for those that like their love stories with a bit more blood and viscera.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: SCREAM

 

Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town's deadly past.

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Dylan Minnette, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mikey Madison, Sonia Ben Ammar, Marley Shelton, Skeet Ulrich, Heather Matarazzo, Roger L. Jackson

Release Date: January 14, 2022

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some sexual references

Runtime: 1h 54m

Review:

Wes Craven's original Scream was a nice bit of self referential satire on slasher films.  It's the type of film that would have been better served if its subsequent sequels never existed.  It's heavy meta approach wasn't ever all that clever, Craven had done it before with his series send off for Freddy Krueger with New Nightmare.  As the film's have progressed the self reflection and satire has slowly devolved into self parody.  This fifth entry from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett is unintentionally funny in parts and rarely if ever scary to any tangible degree.  The script riffs on elevated horror here and there while being a prime example of why most of the slasher genre is dead and buried.  They are clearly fans of the genre but they deliver some uninspired, bland and mildly boring bits of what can barely be called horror.  The kills are fairly rudimentary with them choosing brutally over creating any palpable sense of tension.  David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox all return with varying degrees of impact with even certain moments that should register emotionally falling flat.  Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Jack Quaid do the heavy lifting for the better part of the film with Quaid being the only who seems to be having a good time.  Barrera is surprisingly flat with her eyebrows leaving the biggest impression on the film.  The who done it at play here sadly isn't all the complex or terribly intriguing as it tries to make a point about toxic fandom.  This fifth entry feels like it should be the last in the series and probably for good reason.

D