'Nobody' Is an Awesome 'John Wick' Derivative

Nobody follows a middle-aged family man stuck in a rut named Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk).  He’s been maintaining a monotonous lifestyle, and is working at a mind-numbing, dead-end job at his father-in-law’s company.  At home, his wife is distant with him, and his eldest son holds no admiration for him.  People tend to dismiss him as weak and bland because of the kind of disposition he gives off.  However, when burglars break into his house one night, it sets him out on a path where he finally unleashes his pent up frustrations, reverting back into the person that he used to be.  Apparently, in a past life, he was an “auditor” – a fearsome black ops assassin.  Soon after this reawakening, he finds himself earning the wrath of the Russian mob – or, rather, the Russian mob find themselves earning his wrath.

The script is written by the creator of John Wick.  And it shows.  Nobody borrows from the first John Wick movie a lot of the things that made it work so extremely well.  However, it does these things with enough fresh angles to not be a mere John Wick knockoff.   It may be an obvious derivative, but it’s not just a cheap imitation.  It has an awesomeness of its own.

Nobody is an enjoyable action thriller through and through.  Well, that’s simply the case with most stories with an “underestimated secret badass” action hero.  It’s just so gratifying to see such characters get to finally reveal their true strength after spending some time holding back and being looked down to.  But Nobody executes this already instantly appealing trope almost to perfection.  It does a great job making the audience feel the disrespect and discontent in behalf of Hutch, that they will start to enthusiastically cheer for him to let loose, and once he finally does, it’s such a rush.

Selling further Hutch’s characterization as a “secret badass” is Bob Odenkirk.  As someone who has become most known for playing Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul (I’m reminded that I still need to check out this legendary franchise), he’s not exactly an actor that makes sense as an action star.  That somewhat helps in his character’s initial introduction as a seemingly unremarkable man.  But once that switch flipped in that character, Bob Odendirk proved to be as much of a convincingly intimidating and formidable badass as Liam Neeson was with the Bryan Mills character in Taken.

Equally surprising, amazing, and delightful as (SPOILERS – I count this next detail as a SPOILER) a “secret badass” is Christopher Lloyd, who plays Hutch’s father.  I love how he’s presented at first as just a feeble old man in nursing home, that it creates an exhilarating juxtaposition when he delivers his first kills.

The action is sublime.  The movie is directed by the same man who directed Hardcore Henry (Nobody is just his second film directorial job), so it has the same sense of gritty, visceral, and creative fight sequences and set pieces as Hardcore Henry.

To sum it up, Nobody is a lot of fun to watch.  Thrilling, absorbing, and even hilarious (this movie also totally works as a black comedy), it’s an outstanding romp through and through.  It’s one of my favorite films of the year so far, and Hutch Mansell is a favored contender for Best Movie Hero in next year’s Bernels.

If this is made into a series like John Wick, I’m totally here for it.  Better yet: crossover!