Normal
review by Bobby Blakey
In 2021 Bob Odenkirk stepped into the action world with his hit film Nobody that spawned a sequel in 2025. Now he is reteaming with John Wick and Nobody writer Derek Kolstad and Free Fire and Meg 2 director Ben Wheatley for their new film Normal co-starring Henry Winkler and Lena Headey. Could this be another great entry to Odenkirk’s action filmography or will it be too normal to deliver?
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Normal follows Sheriff Ulysses whose provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern American town of Normal was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty. But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality’s tranquil pace, a dark secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses soon discovers that the town is anything but its namesake.
It still baffles me how well that Odenkirk has transitioned into a full-on action star. I love the Nobody films, so I was obviously looking forward to this one. First thing is that the different tone and type of character make it feel like something fresh instead of just rehashing the Nobody films. Odenkirk is the perfect everyman, and it stands front and center here. Even then he can turn it on, and you believe he can bring the action and does just that once again.
The story is pretty simple and spends plenty of time letting the audience not only meet Ulysses and his situation bringing him to Normal, but also the town folk without it feeling like a chore. Even without action the film is still fun to watch the interactions and strangeness that is building as we are figuring out something is clearly wrong with this town. With the opening scene it pretty much lets you know what’s happening, but it still keeps enough stuff left to reveal to make it fun.
The action is fast and fun with it letting the bullets and blood fly in some great
sequences. What I love about these are they not only infuse humor into the action without making it a joke but also didn’t make Odenkirk the badass like he was in Nobody. Make no mistake he still kicks ass but feels like he must work for it more and in turn keeps it fast and fun. It further cements his dedication to the work and his ability to bring the pain in numerous ways.
I hope this film finds the audience it deserves as it is loads of fun and one that action fans will no doubt have a great time with. Decide for yourself and check out Normal in theaters now from Magnolia Pictures.