Movie Review: Normal (2025)

Genre: Crime Action Comedy  

Director: Ben Wheatley  

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Lena Headey, Henry Winkler  

Running Time: 91 minutes  

Synopsis: Two Yakuza underlings are assigned the unglamorous work of guarding crime proceeds in sleepy and frigid Normal, Minnesota. Around the same time, jaded law enforcement officer Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) is appointed the town's Interim Sheriff. He finds the locals quirky, with an unusual amount of weaponry and unexplained wealth. When two hapless robbers unintentionally expose the Yakuza's haul at the local bank, Ulysses realizes that the whole town is corrupt, starting with the Mayor (Henry Winkler). A bloody war ensues.

What Works Well: Bob Odenkirk finds the necessary caustic but laidback spirit as a lawman rediscovering his passion just in time to improvise survival in an impossible situation. The overall premise leans far into ridiculous territory to find plenty of laughs, and several characters meet unexpected - and always ultraviolent - endings.

What Does Not Work As Well: The murky and muddy washed-out visuals are simply horrid. While the action is entertaining, nothing here is memorable, and the Tarantinoesque ambitions for gore overload lack artistry, ultimately achieving numbness.

Key Quote:

Ulysses: Calm cleans messy.

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Movie Review: Nobody 2 (2025)

Genre: Action Comedy  

Director: Timo Tjahjanto  

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, John Ortiz, Sharon Stone, Christopher Lloyd  

Running Time: 89 minutes  

Synopsis: Supposedly retired undercover assassin Hutch (Bob Odenkirk) never stops working for his handler "the Barber" (Colin Salmon), straining his relationship with his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen). They finally agree to go on vacation with their two kids, plus Hutch's dad David (Christopher Lloyd). Hutch selects the derelict Plummerville amusement park as the vacation destination, because it was the one and only place his dad took him to as a child. Before long, Hutch tangles with the locals, including corrupt sheriff Abel (Colin Hanks) and amusement park owner Wyatt (John Ortiz), but the real behind-the-scenes villain is the ruthless Lendina (Sharon Stone). 

What Works Well: This sequel upgrades the cast, increases the focus on family, and retains the combination of wild action infused with wicked humour. The short duration ensures the next action set-piece is never more than a few minutes away, with Hutch determined that nothing will ruin his family vacation and willing to destroy a small town for the cause. Unlikely star Bob Odenkirk exercises his middle-aged brand of reluctant brawlery in a series of mostly short and sharp encounters with countless goons, the best highlights arriving at an arcade and then on a "duck" boat.

What Does Not Work As Well: Of course the originality is gone, and a sense of stretching the concept creeps in, most notably in a Home Alone at Walley World climax. Sharon Stone is a welcome addition but has to contend with a cartoonish over-the-top character.  

Key Quote:

The Barber (to Hutch): You'll want to de-escalate the situation.

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Movie Review: Nobody (2021)

Genre: Action Thriller

Director: Ilya Naishuller

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, Aleksei Serebryakov

Running Time: 92 minutes

Synopsis: Middle-aged bookkeeper Hutch Mansell (Bob Odendrick) tolerates an average suburban life with his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) and their teenaged son. Hutch's father David (Christopher Lloyd) is a retired FBI agent now living in a care facility. A home invasion reawakens Hutch's violent side, and he takes out his frustrations on a group of thugs terrorizing a transit bus. Unfortunately, one of his victims is the brother of Russian mobster Yulian (Aleksei Serebryakov), who does not appreciate his sibling getting kicked around.

What Works Well: Combining wild violent action with a viciously mean streak of humour, this is a much-better-than-it-needs-to-be blast of entertainment. Star and co-producer Bob Odenkirk aims for a protagonist-with-a-past conflicted within societal subterfuge and understated presence, and director Ilya Naishuller enhances the premise with playful winks resulting in a madcap hour-long payoff. The music and cinematography are often brilliant.

What Does Not Work As Well: The "Russian mobster" villain is a tired device, and some of the climactic plot points and set-piece details suffer from inattention. 

Conclusion: Nobody is most definitely a somebody.



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