AKA: Mr. No Pain, Novocaine No Pain

Novocaine 2025 Movie

A wild, rowdy, and surprisingly tender action comedy, Novocaine is one of those films that doesn’t aim to change cinema, but has so much fun doing its thing that it ends up winning the viewer over. The central idea is catchy: a guy who doesn’t feel pain gets caught up in an absurd chain of cartoon violence, with an unexpected romance along the way. It could have been a soulless gimmick, but thanks to its pace, humor, and a cast with great chemistry, it works. Jack Quaid is genuinely great. He’s becoming more natural, more at ease, more charmingly clumsy—he’s truly earned his place in this kind of film. And the girl (Amber Midthunder, unforgettable in Prey) holds her own without a hitch, bringing strength, charisma, and a presence that lights up the screen. Together, they make believable a story that, at first glance, shouldn’t really work. Not everything is so finely tuned. The second act sags a bit, and there are moments when the film gets repetitive or slips into more conventional beats. But it has enough good ideas, fun scenes, and endearing characters to make up for it. And that exaggerated violence? Far from annoying—it actually helps keep things light and playful. It’s not perfect, but Novocaine is one of those pleasant surprises that mix action and comedy without falling into cliché. It doesn’t reinvent anything, but it knows exactly what it wants to be. And sometimes, that’s just what you need.