Novocaine is the nickname given to the film’s main protagonist Nathan Caine – a nickname he attained in middle school when fellow students realised that he was the victim of congenital analgesia, universally known as congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP) – and yes, it’s a real thing.

Jack Quaid, the son of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, stars as Nathan Caine, a bank manager inflicted with this disorder. The audience gets an immediate sense of the film’s basic premise during the opening credits accompanied by REM's "Everybody Hurts."

The film’s basic premise is also the film’s single sight gag. When a brazen robbery takes place at Nathan’s bank and the perpetrators leave with his co-worker and new girlfriend Sherry as a hostage, Nathan abandons his safety mechanisms in pursuit of the psychopathic bank robbers. In the process of attempting to rescue Sherry, Nathan uses his unique “gift” to bravely fight back and even overcome the bad guys.

Quaid completely commits to the role and proves his versatility as an actor. You may remember him in last year’s Oscar winning film Oppenheimer as real-life scientist Richard Feynman.

Native-American actor Amber Midthunder (a member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribe) is not your typical “damsel-in-distress” heroine as seen in a plot twist two-thirds through the film. She even matches Jack Quaid for appeal and attitude.

Novocaine was written by Lars Jacobson and directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen. The film will be commercially released on March 14, 2025.

© 2025 John Anthony Jane