Modern action movies often rely on style over substance, action over story elements, topped by a heavy dose of CGI. While these movies are fun in their own right, there is something particularly special about movies that rely on the latter aspects, yet pull off something crisp, well-paced, and engaging. the multi-million-dollar success of the John Wick series of films is a clear testament to this fact. Seemingly following in the footsteps of the aforementioned movie, Nobody is a clever action flick that sees Bob Odenkirk, from Better Call Saul fame, take on the role of Hutch Mansell, a seemingly normal everyday man.
Director: Ilya Naishuller
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksei Serebryakov, RZA, Michael Ironside, Colin Salmon, Christopher Lloyd
Nobody starts off relatively subdued with a montage of hutch going about the mundanity that is his everyday life. It thankfully however doesn’t waste much time in getting to the action. Just a few minutes into the movie his home is broken into by a pair of thieves who end up stealing his daughter’s beloved bracelet, following which he sets out on a relatively straightforward quest to retrieve it. This quest however quickly side-tracks into an all-out war with a Russian crime lord named Yulian (Aleksey Serebryakov).
This is, however, not your bog-standard average guy turned vigilante-style movie. There are clever hits strewn throughout right from the very get-go that Hutch isn’t your typical everyday joe. He is hiding from a violent past that he has left behind for ordinary family life and the movie does a great job of drip-feeding you part of his backstory throughout the movie.
The adrenaline-charged fight sequences also have a sense of weight and believability about them, which comes as no surprise given that they were choreographed by the team behind John Wick itself. Moreover, Naishuller does a great job of keeping the momentum right from the first fight scene all the way through to the end.
Then there’s Odenkirk. In spite of the role being a far departure from his previous works, he does a tremendous job in his role as Hutch; easily selling both the everyday mundane side of the character as well as the violent past side. His supporting cast, particularly RZA and Christopher Lloyd, also put in exceptional performances.
Overall, Nobody is an exceptionally well made and clever action movie that is just begging for a sequel, or perhaps even a John Wick – Nobody crossover. Now wouldn’t that be a great idea?