Novocaine is the kind of action-comedy that knows exactly what it wants to be — and delivers on the goods with a wink and a wince. Jack Quaid stars as Nathan Caine, a sweet but reserved bank worker living with a rare condition: Congenital Insensitivity to Pain. He can’t feel a thing, physically speaking, which comes in handy once things start exploding around him.

What begins as a low-key rom-com with co-worker Sherry (Prey‘s Amber Midthunder, charming and grounded) quickly veers into chaos when the bank is hit by gun-toting Santas, and Sherry is taken hostage. With the cops caught flat-footed, Nate takes it upon himself to track her down — cue the blood, bruises, and some of the most creatively painful gags in recent memory.

To its credit, Novocaine fully commits to the concept. This isn’t a film that sidelines its own gimmick after a few set pieces. Nathan’s condition is baked into the character and the action — whether he’s plunging his hand into boiling grease or getting whacked with a medieval mace, the filmmakers find every opportunity to remind you just how much this guy can take. And it never stops being fun to watch.

Quaid is pitch-perfect here. His blend of dorky sincerity and physical commitment makes Nathan easy to root for, and the absurdity works because he plays it all so straight. His chemistry with Midthunder is strong — their early scenes are surprisingly sweet, giving the chaos that follows an emotional centre that, while built on a simple romantic setup, feels earned thanks to Quaid’s grounded performance. You might question how quickly he falls, but Quaid makes it believable.

Ray Nicholson chews up scenery as the film’s grinning villain — the type of smug, punchable lunatic you can’t wait to see get taken down. He’s enjoyably detestable, and his cocky persona brings even more energy to the mayhem. The film also nicely sprinkles in a side plot involving two detectives (Betty Gabriel and Matt Walsh) who are constantly one step behind Nate. Their back-and-forth brings welcome comic relief, never distracting from the main story but adding another layer of fun to the chase.

For a modestly budgeted actioner, Novocaine looks great. The fight choreography is brutal, sometimes hilarious, and often jaw-dropping in its creative use of Nate’s pain-free condition. And while the film flirts with full-on cartoon logic, it manages to hold a loose grip on some kind of reality — even when Quaid’s hand starts to resemble something from a Cronenberg flick.

Directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen strike the right balance of sentiment and splatter, absurdity and sincerity. It’s not exactly subtle, but it is confident — and that goes a long way when you’re building a comedy that plays with broken bones and boiling oil.

Novocaine won’t be for everyone, but if you’re up for something a little wild, a little weird, and a lot of fun, it delivers. Like its hero, it takes a beating and keeps moving — bruised, bonkers, and grinning all the way to the finish line.