Nobody: A Violent Action-Thriller

Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in Nobody, directed by Ilya Naishuller. Photo credit: Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures.

The violent action-thriller, Nobody, stars Better Call Saul‘s Bob Odenkirk in what could very well be his most violent role to date.

Until Breaking Bad and follow-up series Better Call Saul came to be, most of us knew Bob Odenkirk for his comedy. But without the former, it’s possible we don’t get Odenkirk cast in Steven Spielberg’s The Post. Of course, I don’t know this for sure. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Christopher Lloyd in this kind of role either.

Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) doesn’t defend his home when when thieves break into the house. He’s a nobody and just didn’t want to provoke any kind of violence. Much to his dismay, teenage son Blake (Gage Munroe) is disappointed as is wife Becca (Connie Nielsen). The after effect of this is that we see Hutch in a way he’s never behaved before. Or at least in a way that his family doesn’t know about. If you think secrets are going to come out, well, you’ll have to see the film for yourself! Hutch soon finds himself going against a new adversary, Yulian Kuznetsov (Alexey Serebryakov), and never wants to let down his family again.

There are some nice musical moments in this film. Of course, you cannot have any kind of action film without an actor walking away from a burning building. Personally, I was waiting for the flames to grow out of control! But that’s just me. When you aren’t taking in those kind of moments, the film is pretty violent. I was hoping for more comic relief lines as I’m trying to snap a depression spell. Unfortunately, none of them really came my way.

The film itself is inspired by an actual incident. Criminals broke into Odenkirk’s home while he was home with his family. Much like his character in the film, he did nothing to provoke them. If the actor has another life of violence like his character in the film, we certainly don’t know about it!

It’s a short film at an hour and a half. Honestly, this is the type of film that I could imagine seeing on the big screen. Of course, that’s not something that will happen for a few weeks or months as things currently stand. If you’re not vaccinated, Universal has been releasing films early on demand for a premium. Is Nobody worth shelling out the money to watch from home at your own convenience? It really depends on how much you like this cast and violence. I mean, screenwriter Derek Kolstad is the same guy behind the John Wick franchise! If you like the John Wick films, I suppose it’s worth it.

DIRECTOR: Ilya Naishuller
SCREENWRITER: Derek Kolstad
CAST: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Alexey Serebryakov, and Christopher Lloyd

Universal Pictures releases Nobody on March 26, 2021.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.