Film Review: In ‘Nobody,’ Bob Odenkirk dips his wick into action hero status

Move over John Wick and make way for Hutch Mansell. Who? Everyone is soon going to become keenly aware of who exactly Hutch and some of his hidden talents. Nobody is set to release this Friday and tells the tale of a father of two who has a colorful past littered with dead bodies. Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, and Christopher Lloyd lead this Wickesque tale of a man who has had enough of his ordinary life and wants to back to his extraordinary one. Is that even possible? Has he been sitting at a desk for just too long? It appears that all one needs is to almost murder a member of a Russian crime syndicate to add some excitement to the day.

Hutch is a former military officer turned construction manager. We see him at his desk attempting to work where his daily, mundane life soothes him. While he seemingly thrives on the routine of his day, something mysterious seems to now be getting to him, nagging at him. A break-in at his home that ends up with his son being assaulted and it pushes the limits of his restraint to the breaking point. Yet it’s something seemingly trivial – his daughter losing it over a missing Kitty Kat Bracelet – that releases something in him that’s long been dormant.

A flip switches in him, and we get to see a side of Hutch that is quite different. Gone is the typical “dad” look, and now we are wearing a cool jacket while carrying a revolver. Odenkirk doesn’t project Hutch’s snap loudly; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. The fact that he’s so quiet adds to the eerie tone the film takes. He eventually finds those who took his watch and wedding ring, but while on the bus, he sees a bunch of Russian immigrants encircle this defenseless woman. Without hesitating, he eviscerates each bad guy in spectacular fashion. Little did he know that these kids were part of the Russian mob.

Pawel Pogorzelski’s cinematography is just fabulous in the film. He uses much of the same techniques he did on Midsommar and Hereditary to make these images pop. A master at manipulating light brightening most scenes in the film, violence has never looked this beautiful. Pogorzelski also weaves in and out most scenes using handheld cameras to capture most of the action. The closeups pull everyone right in regardless of how the image is framed.

The musical choices the film makes are also tons of fun as well. All of them having essentially the same message of how Hutch is an everyman. The pacing of the film is fantastic too. 90-minutes is the perfect length for this type of film. While on the surface, the film seems like something that we’ve seen before, Odenkirk, Nielsen, and Lloyd give the film a different vibe. Nobody isn’t a vigilante flick; it’s more about a man coming to terms with who he truly is. Some men are meant to typical husbands; Hutch isn’t.

Bob Odenkirk was terrific here. The danger with this type of film is that it’s easy to oversell a moment and have it come off terribly. Seeing Odenkirk switch between being the typical father and the badass, he is truly fun to witness. It’s like a light switching on and off. Nielsen is great as Hutch’s wife, a woman who is only now realizing that she isn’t sure who he is. Christopher Lloyd certainly did stand out the most for him.

Nobody embodies everything that makes cinematic entertainment great. The film is loud, fun, and just tons of insane fight sequences. If anyone is looking for a title checkout once theaters open in your area, look no further.

Universal Pictures will release Nobody in theaters on March 26.

Photo Credit: Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures

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Dewey Singleton

I'm a member of Critics Choice, Hollywood Critics Association, and The Society of Professional Journalists. I am also on Rotten Tomatoes. My bylines include @awardswatch, @deweysmovies, @awardsradar, @weliveentertainment, @bleedingcool, and @insessionfilm. I am married to @sgitw and have two sons.

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