Nobody (2021)

Nobody (2021)

8/10

Starring

Bob Odenkirk

Connie Nielsen

Aleksei Serebryakov

RZA

 

Directed by Ilya Naishuller

 

This movie decided from the start that it wouldn’t be predictable. Nobody doesn’t try to do anything particularly new—it just wants to show us that Bob Odenkirk can be a versatile actor. And even though he doesn’t look the part, he can absolutely be an action star.

“Love” is the word I’d use to describe the way the movie started. It opens by showing us the endless cycle of working—a monotonous routine that creates a kind of numbness. You go to work, come home, eat, sleep, and wake up to do it all over again. This is the life for many, day in and day out, year-round. Eventually, you need to break the cycle and do something to avoid feeling numb for your entire life. That numbness can create fear, and for Hutch, fear became a problem—not fear for himself, but fear that he wasn’t doing enough to protect the people he loved.

The movie dumps on Hutch (Odenkirk) after he decides not to fight back during a home burglary. He faces criticism from everyone—his son, who had already taken down one of the burglars and expected Hutch to finish the job with a golf club; his brother-in-law, his neighbor, and even himself. He feared that his wife might see him differently. Later, we find out why Hutch didn’t fight back, but the fear of not doing enough was eating at him. He tried to let it go, but his switch was flicked when he discovered that the burglars had taken his daughter’s cat bracelet.

Using skills he acquired during his past service, Hutch hunts down the burglars. At this point, the movie takes on a Liam Neeson’s Taken vibe. After getting his satisfaction with the burglars, he seems to be itching for a fight, ready to take on anyone who crosses his path. About 30 minutes in, the movie takes a sharp action turn that leaves you wondering what will happen in the remaining hour. Hutch takes on five muscular men who were harassing a woman. He beats them up—brutally—and it turns out that one of them is the brother of a dangerous Russian gangster. Unfortunately, Hutch drops his card during the fight (by mistake), and now the bad guys are after him.

At this point, the movie shifts from Taken to John Wick in just 15 minutes. When the bad guys corner him, we learn that Hutch’s entire family has a badass streak. The action ramps up again, giving off serious Rambo: First Blood vibes.

Enough said—this is a great movie. Go watch it.