‘Nobody’ – Review
What happens when an ordinary joe….who isn’t quite so ordinary, suddenly snaps and unleashes the beast? That’s exactly where director Ilya Naishuller and star Bob Odenkirk take us in the totally out-of-control and gnarly crime-thriller-comedy that is Nobody. And trust us when we see that this one is totally insane and hits with the force of a claymore mine!
Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, The Post, Nebraska) stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life’s indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody. When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe, The Shack), is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen, Wonder Woman), seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch’s long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary (famed Russian actor Aleksey Serebryakov, Amazon’s McMafia)—and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again.
Director Ilya Naishuller, who proved his talent with the insane first-person shooter thriller Hardcore Henry, steps things up a whole new notch with Nobody, a crime-thriller-comedy that mixes up the best parts of each genre for one hell of a cinematic cocktail. And this one delivers plenty of kick. Telling the story of Bob Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell, an everyday regular nobody, who suddenly cracks and reveals a whole new different side to himself, with devastating results, Nobody will appeal to action film junkies who are looking for their fix and delivers fast and furious action cinema at its best. It’s clear from the resulting cinematic product that Naishuller had a blast making this one, and there’s plenty of heavy gunmetal carnage to keep action fans pumped with this one.
Comedy superstar Bob Odenkirk really switches things up here in Nobody, and trust us when we say you’ve never seen him like this before. Starting off as a downbeat, overworked loser, Hutch Mansell appears to be the peak form of average, but a sudden attack on his home and character sets him off and unleashes a caged wolf who’s ready for the taste of blood. For Odenkirk, the character of Hutch is something completely different and he makes for a very compelling Black Ops assassin who decides to pick up the gun one last time. Not only do you buy into this ‘middle-aged man who’s got one last fight in him’ character, but his subtle use of humour keeps the action fun and engaging, and he really has fun with the part.
Taking on the character of Hutch led Odenkirk to transform himself both physically and mentally and he really committed to the character. Whether it’s his ability to handle a tanto blade, a Sig-Saur P320 or a Heckler & Koch MP7, or his brutal application of Krav Maga and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques, Odenkirk really went for it with his transformation as a legitimate Spec Ops badass…and it shows on screen. Odenkirk, Naishuller and the stunt team at 87North Productions really amp up the action, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to see Odenkirk tear through the bad guys in this one.
In terms of the experience of Nobody, this is an action-movie that really takes audiences for a ride, and for those viewers who feel like they’ve been missing out on the big screen cinema rush, well Nobody really makes up for it. Naishuller gives this film an excitement and bone-crunching pace that keeps things interesting, and his use of ‘action as narrative’ keeps this film engaging at every turn. You never know what Hutch is gonna do next, and when you add in Odenkirk’s spot-on comedic timing things really get interesting in Nobody.
Alongside its creative action, superb comedy and complete turn-around performance from Odenkirk, Nobody also has a stellar supporting cast including Connie Nielson, Aleksei Serebryakov and the legendary Christopher Lloyd. As Hutch’s wife Becca, Nielson is rather distant to her husband, until his new found animal aggression brings a spark back into their life. Serebryakov on the other hand makes for a flamboyantly lethal Russian mob boss who soon makes it his mission to take on Hutch, and Christopher Lloyd wraps up the movie as Hutch’s elderly dad, David Mansell, a former FBI agent, who is still quick on the gun and is ready to jump into the fight to help Hutch protect his family.
Nobody is an action cinema experience that is just straight-up fun, and audiences are gonna need their adrenal glands replaced after this one. The action doesn’t let up for a moment, and the combination of Bob Odenkirk and director Ilya Naishuller deliver a real rush for audiences.
Image: Universal Pictures NZ
