Normal (2026) is directed by Ben Wheatley, featuring a script written by Derek Kolstad and Bob Odenkirk. It stars Bob Odenkirk, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Jess McLeod, Reena Jolly, Brendan Fletcher, Peter Shinkoda, Alex MacMillan, Dan De Jaeger, John C. MacDonald, David Lawrence Brown, Derek Barnes, Megan MacArton, Carson Nattrass, Chad Bruce, Lauren Cochrane, and Brian Kawakami. The film follows divorced cop Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) after he accepts an interim sheriff position in the small, seemingly quiet town of Normal, Minnesota. When a down-on-their-luck couple (Jolly & Fletcher) from out of town attempts to rob the local bank, Ulysses soon discovers that its main safe harbors millions of dollars in dirty Yakuza cash. With nearly the entire town paid off, Ulysses, the two bank robbers, and the former sheriff’s marine veteran daughter (McLeod), are forced to band together in order to fight their way out of town.

Although Ulysses shares many similarities with Odenkirk’s role in the two Nobody films, he displays enough distinguishing traits to avoid feeling like a copy/retread. Odenkirk is once again playing a man with a murky past who slowly reveals his skills as an experienced killing machine, but this is a more grounded, traditional take on the archetype. Unlike Nobody, Normal isn’t about the character’s past coming back to haunt them; it’s about their past experiences being a tool for survival. In many ways, the film takes elements from the Nobody franchise and remixes them into a superior version of those films. Being derivative is generally easy to accept when it improves upon the ideas it borrows, and Normal is a prime example. 

Despite this feeling more grounded than the Nobody films, it still retains a similar sense of dark comedy. However, the script commits first and foremost to its violent action elements, which leads to fewer big laughs but maximizes the impact of its subtler situational humor. In other words, the laughs are smaller but much more natural and consistent. As a native of the state, I can also authenticate the messed-up moral logic of small-town Minnesotans. I often see these people more easily justify their more selfish and hateful behaviors/opinions by putting on a friendly facade. In other words, it’s like their good qualities only leave more room for them to be bad. I’m not saying Minnesotans are any more problematic than anyone else; there’s just a unique psychology behind how they operate.

Although it has a simple action movie premise, Ben Wheatley’s ever-improving skills as a throwback action storyteller keep the film consistently fresh and engaging. He uses elements we’ve seen in the genre countless times before, but implements them to great effect – big explosions, heists, shocking deaths, etc. The characters are communicated through their various actions, which are almost always impressive in their ingenuity. If you’ve seen Wheatley’s film Free Fire (2016), this is a comparable but superior experience. 

Overall, the film feels familiar, but never lets that drag down the experience. It’s a tried-and-true example of what the genre does best, and it’s action-packed for most of its runtime. Some of the goofy humor doesn’t always work, but more often than not, it does. Bob Odenkirk is also a lot of fun, despite playing a similar role in other films. If you like action movies, check this one out. B