Film Review

Novocaine (2025) — entertaining action comedy that’ll still leave you a little numb

When the girl of his dreams is kidnapped, a man incapable of feeling physical pain turns his rare condition into an unexpected advantage in the fight to rescue her.

Hollywood is attempting a comeback of the action comedy. With films like Violent Night (2022), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), and Love Hurts (2025), it feels like a concerted effort to get the stand-alone action comedy with no superheroes attached back on its feet.

As a huge fan of 1980s and 1990s action comedies, I applaud this effort. However, like many attempts in modern Hollywood, the results of this experiment have been mixed. For every Everything Everywhere All at Once there’s an Expendables IV (2023), and at least five more that fall into the mediocre category. These offerings are a fun diversion for a couple of hours, but they won’t stay with you after your trip to the cinema, and you’re not likely to seek them out again. And despite the best efforts of a top-tier cast and…