If you’re anything like me, the name Bob Odenkirk immediately serves up thoughts of laughter. Originally a comedy writer for Conan O’Brien, “Saturday Night Live,” and, of course, the co-star of HBO’s cult classic “Mr. Show with Bob and David,” he transitions into full-blown action star in this new thriller from director Ilya Naishuller (“Hardcore Henry“).
Odenkirk plays Hutch Mansell, quite literally a morality play “everyman.” He works in a boring office for his father-in-law and lives a very quiet life with his family. There isn’t much spark left with his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) and his son Brady (Gage Munroe) bears obvious disdain towards him.
It’s not until their house is broken into and a confrontation is had with the robbers that it becomes clear that things may not be exactly as they appear in the mundane reality of everyday life. Even though he has tried hard to keep up appearances, we come to find out that Hutch has a secret past.
A former government assassin, Hutch has unbelievable skills that come to his aid when, while traveling on a city bus, he comes face to face with some truly nasty members of the Russian mob who are harassing a young female passenger.
The film earns every accolade it has received during the sequence that follows – a brutally ultra-violent bus battle that calls to mind the infamous hallway hammer sequence in Park Chan-wook’s “Old Boy.”
If you enjoyed the “John Wick” series, you should know this was written by Derek Kolstad who wrote the screenplay for all three of those films and has a similar vibe. Similarly, the violence here is graphic and occasionally downright gory. “Nobody” is a wild ride, but certainly not for the faint of heart.
“Nobody” is playing in theaters across the country and is also now available for home viewing as a premium video on demand title ($19.99 for 48 hours on most digital platforms, 4K/Dolby Vision available).
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