I was so excited to see NOBODY. It promised to be ‘A History of Violence’ meets the newer ‘Rambo’ films, and I was here for it. Ever since John Wick threw that gun at a guy’s head, I’ve been impatiently waiting for more of this particular genre.
NOBODY completely delivered. I’m so happy.
NOBODY follows the usual set up. Hutch Mansell (played by Bob Odenkirk) is a seemingly mild mannered family man. He works hard. He hates his job. He’s doing everything he should do, but the monotony is killing him. The opening scenes – brilliantly filmed and cleverly edited – make that abundantly clear.
He lives in the suburbs, with a wife who no longer loves him, and a son who doesn’t respect him. Only his little daughter (newcomer Paisley Cadorath) seems to pay him any mind.
But then two individuals break into his house. They terrify his family. And still, he doesn’t fight back. Everyone decides he’s a coward. They tell him (at length) what they would have done to those burglars, had they got the chance.
But he’s not a coward. He’s just a very dangerous man, who’s trying very hard to be good.
When he finally loses his temper, we find out just how dangerous he really is.
Bob Odenkirk is a brilliant casting choice. He’s so convincing as a regular pen-pushing office worker. Disappointed by life – absolutely – but too tired to do anything about it. He doesn’t look dangerous. If I saw him in real life, I probably wouldn’t give him a second thought.
But then Hutch decides to hurt someone, and Odenkirk’s face changes. The mask is off, and he’s absolutely terrifying.
Odenkirk’s an all-rounder. He’s got the acting talent to perfectly capture the tragedy of a man pushed too far. And he’s also a skilled comedian, who knows the audience is here for a good time. Some of those lines he manages to say with a straight face? Simultaneously hilarious and chilling.
A film like NOBODY needs a man who can do both.
The rest of the cast are just as impressive. Connie Nielsen plays Hutch’s wife. She seems as disappointed in Hutch as he is in himself. But there’s a softness in her that makes her quite likeable. And Christopher LLoyd (of Back to the Future fame) plays Hutch’s dad. He brings his signature chaotic energy and rubber facial expressions.
A small critique, but Aleksei Serebryakov’s head villain role – a violent Russian drug lord – felt a little undeveloped. Serebryakov does an amazing job, and completely commits to the role. But a few more lines of dialogue might have made him even more compelling.
I would also have loved a little more hand-to-hand combat. The scene where Odenkirk attacks several men on a late night bus was just… *chef’s kiss*. I wanted to see more. But the lack of bare handed brawling is made up for with big guns, homemade bombs, and creative kills.
So there’s a lot of blood, some very cool dialogue, and just complete, unbridled brutality…
It’s everything I wanted, and I can’t wait for a sequel.
Rating: 7.5/10
