Jack Quaid’s upcoming action movieNovocainereleases soon, and there are some clever fusions of action and comedy that are worth checking out for those who want a taste of what to expect. As seen inNovocaine’s official trailer, the movie follows Jack Quaid as a protagonist who uses his rare inability to experience physical pain as an advantage in hunting down the villains endangering his girlfriend.
Out of all theupcoming movies in 2025,Novocaineis hard to rank in terms of general anticipation. The movie should definitely appeal to action fans who enjoy more comedic outings such asNobodyandLove Hurts, butaction comedy isn’t a genre that’s traditionally delivered quality on a very consistent basis. For those with high hopes forNovocaine, all it takes to get a taste of what to expect is a look at past works by the directors, cast, and production studios behind the movie.
Body
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Body, released in 2015, follows three young women whose night takes a perilous turn after they break into an apparently unoccupied mansion. As their actions lead to unforeseen consequences, the trio finds themselves entangled in a series of increasingly dangerous events.
The directorial debut byNovocainefilmmakers Dan Berk and Robert Olsen,Bodylacks the comedic elements of Jack Quaid’s upcoming action movie but proves they can craft a compelling thriller.Bodycombines plot elements ofSuicide KingsandI Know What You Did Last Summer. The film follows three girls who accidentally paralyze a man while partying at a house they aren’t supposed to be visiting and who must hide his presence while trying to keep their roles in his paralysis and ultimate death a secret from the police.
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Bodyreceived slightly less than middling reviews from critics, but it still showcases a bit of what audiences might expect fromNovocaine.The movie puts a strong emphasis on character development rather than twists and thrills alone. This is something the directors will hopefully continue doing if they wish for Jack Quaid’s character to stand out from other action heroes on the basis of more than just his superpower.
Lift
Lift is a high-stakes action thriller centered on an international heist crew led by Cyrus Whitaker. The team embarks on a daring mission to steal $500 million in gold from a passenger plane flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet. Released on June 08, 2025.
A heist comedy by the same director asFriday,Straight Outta Compton, andThe Fate of the Furious, Netflix movieLiftfeaturesNovocaine’s Jacob Batalon in an ensemble cast that also includes Kevin Hart, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Billy Magnussen. The movie’s critical reception suffered a bit from a middle act that feels more like an episode ofLeveragethan a $100 million movie, butLift’s intriguing opening heists and closing action scenes deliver much the same quality of comedy and adrenaline-fueled excitement viewers might expect fromNovocaine.
Jacob Batalon’s role inLiftis extremely front-loaded, so anyone watching the film specifically for his performance will want to pay the most attention to the movie’s initial heist scenes and the immediate aftermath thereof.
Batalon’s role inLiftis much smaller than the role he likely plays inNovocaine, buthe nonetheless showcases the same comedic charm as seen in movies likeSpider-Man: Homecoming. Although its critical reviews don’t suggest it becoming anyone’s personal favorite,Lift’s layering of multiple heists at once and its cast’s undeniable charm make it more than suitable for at least a one-time viewing on a rainy day. More importantly,Liftfeels tonally very similar to whatNovocaineis trying to accomplish.
American Ultra
Released in 2015, American Ultra is an action comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Walter Goggins, Topher Grace, and Connie Britton. The film centers on Mike Howell (Eisenberg), a stoner who discovers he is actually a skilled secret agent for the CIA. American Ultra received mixed reviews upon release and only made a few million dollars at the box office.
BeforeNovocaineproduction company Circle Management + Production rebranded, they worked on movies such asAmerican Ultraunder the studio name Circle of Confusion.American UltrafeaturesJesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewartin what initially seems like a stoner comedy until Eisenberg’s Mike is revealed to be a sleeper secret agent. While the movie appears at first glance similar toNobodyorLove Hurtsin its focus on a seemingly normal protagonist with a shocking past,American Ultramore closely resemblesNovocainein the sense of its hero feeling like a fish out of water thrown into a hyper-violent adventure.
DespiteAmerican Ultra’s commercial failure,the movie’s more positive reviews found its mashup of comedy and action effective. Some of those on the fence about the film might be particularly swayed upon learning that Stephen King,whose adaptationThe Monkeyreceived critical acclaim this year, is among the film’s more notable fans. It’s a solid premise for a movie, and reflects the action/comedy fusion that’s clearly at the heart ofNovacaine.
Villains
Villains is a dark comedy thriller directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen. The film stars Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe as a pair of amateur criminals who break into a suburban home, only to discover a disturbing secret held by the homeowners, played by Jeffrey Donovan and Kyra Sedgwick. This encounter leads to a tense and twisted face-off with chilling consequences.
The most well-received film byNovocaine’s directors has beenVillains, which largely received praise for its strong leading performances by Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe.Villainseffectively blends comedy and suspense in an off-the-wall story of two criminals who find a kidnapped girl while on the lam. They pair risk an easy getaway to save her from her dangerous parents, a pair of antagonists played against type by TV stars Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Donovan.
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AlthoughVillainsdid receive a small handful of less positive reviews for occasional scenes in which its genres felt unbalanced, the movie demonstrates just how muchBerk and Olsen have evolved as directors since the release ofBody. There’s a clever sense of dark comedy throughout the film, highlighting a more successful genre blend. Assuming that evolution continues withNovocaine, a single viewing ofVillainsshould offer a promising outlook for what the directors’ new action flick has in store for audiences.
Logan Lucky
Logan Lucky is a comedy-heist film by Steven Soderbergh, the director behind the Ocean’s Eleven series. The Logans are a blue-collar family from the hills of West Virginia, and their clan has been famous for its bad luck for nearly 90 years. But the conniving Jimmy Logan decides it’s time to turn the family’s luck around, and with a bit of help from his friends, the “Redneck Robbers,” he plans to steal $14 million from the Charlotte Motor Speedway on the busiest race day of the year.
Steven Soderbergh’s best heist film sinceOcean’s Elevenis 2017’sLogan Lucky, which featuresNovocaine’s Jack Quaid as Daniel Craig’s brother in a star-studded cast including Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Hilary Swank, and Sebastian Stan. Despite his relatively minor role inLogan Lucky’s cast,Jack Quaid more than proves his ability to play a comedic character in a film with high stakes, an ability he’s expected to more fully showcase inNovocaine. Quaid plays one of the conspirators in the heist, a doofus who provides solid comic support.
More than anything,Logan Luckyshines as a film that manages to prove highly enjoyable regardless of the viewer’s particular interest in crime comedies. The movie’s offbeat characters and uniquely crafted heist moments leading up toLogan Lucky’s endingall make for a thrilling and endlessly laugh-inducing ride. IfNovocainecan achieve even half ofLogan Lucky’s charm, it could easily rise to become one of the best action comedies of the year.
Novocaine
Novocaine follows the story of a successful dentist whose life spirals out of control after becoming entangled with a seductive patient. Facing unexpected challenges and criminal activity, he finds his personal and professional worlds colliding, leading to an urgent fight to preserve both his reputation and sanity.
