Pain, or the fear of it, stops many people from experiencing opportunities in their lives. People avoid going to amusement parks, skydiving or opening up emotionally in fear of getting hurt. However, what if someone could not feel any pain? Nathan Caine, protagonist of “Novocaine,” is basically one in 125 million in this regard.
He has the genetic disorder CIPA, or Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis, which means that his pain receptors do not send the proper message to his brain. Only about one in 125 million people experience this disorder. In turn, Nathan Caine is unable to feel any sort of pain, leading him to become a hero in this comedic action film starring Jack Quaid.
After being diagnosed with this disorder, he spent most of his life secluded and became the assistant manager at a bank. Caine is infatuated with one of the bank tellers, but right after they have a magical night together, the bank is robbed and Sherry (Amber Midthunder) is taken hostage. This leaves Caine to fight for her safety or forever feel the pain of her absence.
At first glance, this plot sounds very cheesy. However, “Novocaine” was surprisingly entertaining and kept the audience on its toes. The trailer makes Nathan Caine seem similar to the snarky Deadpool, but instead he is a very kind and unskilled hero. Although he is fighting seasoned criminals, Caine tries at every turn to reason with them before resorting to violence. This demeanor heightened each action sequence because his character felt more realistic due to his lack of knowledge on how to properly fight.
Also, his genetic disorder allows for some insane toe-curling moments where he purposefully injures himself because he cannot feel the repercussions. This plot stands out against other action movies because, while the audience feels the pain through the screen, Caine feels absolutely nothing. Especially once he becomes more confident, the action scenes become more and more interesting and intense as he grows smarter about his attacks.
The only part of the story that feels cheesy is Caine’s extreme dedication to save a girl he went out with once. Despite their little interaction on screen, Caine is willing to put himself in extreme danger to rescue her from the clutches of the robbers. The storyline suggests that he has secretly pined for her since she began working at the bank, but the love feels slightly forced.
However, the message is important: Caine has not truly lived because he has been so nervous about hurting himself. Finally after going out on a date with Sherry, he has something to live for and is willing to die instead of regretting his unwillingness to act in fear of death. He is scared to get emotionally hurt but wants to put in the work for the hope of true love. Caine’s growth in confidence throughout the film was intriguing and helped the audience to connect with his character and root for his success.
There was also a surprising plot twist in the middle of the film that kept the audience engaged and helped to move the plot forward. Without this twist, the film would have become too repetitive and one-dimensional, but this wrench enhances the depth of the story. By the last action sequence, every audience member is rooting for Caine to succeed and get the girl with the help of his friend, Roscoe (Jacob Batalon).
“Novocaine” is a surprisingly witty and interesting story about a man who has never truly lived until he puts himself into danger for the possibility of gaining lifetime love.
