It’s rare to see Jack Quaid, genre everyman and resident boy next door, not covered in blood to some degree. His most notable roles — think Amazon’s The Boys or horror reboot Scream — practically baptize him in it. It’s a conceit that won’t get old so long as Quaid is game, but his latest offering, Novocaine, pushes that theory way beyond its comfort zone.
A rom-com, ‘80s-inspired actioner, and an exploration in body horror all rolled into one, Novocaine essentially turns Quaid into a walking, talking punching bag. Its premise draws heavily from a real-life neurological disorder, CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis), and adapts it into a superpower of sorts. Thanks to his unique condition, Quaid’s Nathan Caine simply can’t feel pain. That gives him a surprising edge over action stars like John Wick, who don’t always get to walk away from a beating. Novocaine aims to introduce a hero who technically has no limits, and it succeeds in cementing Quaid as an unconventional action star. Whether its story is strong enough to go as far as he does is another issue entirely.
