Nobody – A Stellar Average Joe Action Epic

In films where many shots are fired, they doesn’t always hit the target. When it comes to Nobody, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the film isn’t good, it’s just not great. The story follows Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk), essentially an average Joe. Intervening to help a woman in distress, this would trigger a chain of events that set up the rest of the film as he became a target of a drug lord. The film follows a very formulaic journey reminiscent of the John Wick series which makes sense considering it shares a writer with that series. In the end, the action is where the film truly shines. Top notch action sequences are sprinkled throughout to keep audiences at the edge of their seats. What grounds the film was Odenkirk’s performance. Another example of perfect casting, he fits the mould of an average Joe who could totally kick some ass if he needed to.

Starting off slow, it was clear that the film was about to explode at any moment. That being said the film suffered from some pacing issues. Meanwhile, it did not see great character development within Mansell’s family which worked to lessen the stakes. However, that’s not the reason why people will go to see this movie. Rather, they will go for the action and for that, the film delivered and should be commended for what it pulled off here as each blow can be felt thanks to the sound mixing and the camerawork. Featuring some of the best fight sequences in recent memory, it would have been nice to see more throughout. These sequences carried Nobody. The sad reality is that all of the characters here are shallow and not given enough reason to invest in them. The only person worth caring about was Hutch and his mission to keep his family safe. The other characters merely fell flat while some of the dialog was as brutal as some of the blows though it did not distract from the main plot.

Odenkirk is officially an action star and I’m completely here for it. He has such an amazing range and audiences cannot argue that he has an on-screen charm about him. He brings the necessary dramatic chops to the role and adds in some comedy. Hutch is an extremely likable character that is both humanized and an unstoppable force at the same time. Objectively this is something very demanding to pull off. Hutch is able to play both the family man and a badass hitman. The transition between these two modes are never daunting or unbelievable. It is clear that Odenkirk trained for this film and it unreservedly omits on the screen. Nobody allows him to exhibit his new skill set in a way that is presented beautifully in well-shot sequences. These sequences that Hutch kept finding himself in were a blast to watch. Audiences will be pleasantly surprised on how great of an action hero Hutch is and are sure to be left wanting more. Perhaps this film may lead to a franchise and/or a crossover with John Wick which would be amazing.

Overall, Nobody was a lot of fun to watch. For those who can see the film in theaters, it is well worth a watch. The best way to experience a film like this for the first time should be on a bigger screen. Nevertheless, audiences are going to love this film whenever it becomes more available. There is certainly more to this world and hopefully it can be explored further in a sequel sometime in the future.

still courtesy of Universal Pictures

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Frederick Nuti