Bob Odenkirk continues his later-career transformation into an unorthodox action hero with Normal, a bloody small-town action thriller that gives him plenty of asses to kick—and blow up!
Underrated director Ben Wheatley is FINALLY put to good use with Normal. Wheatley made Sightseers, another very dark comedy that was one of my favorite films from 2012. Since then, his film choices have been hit or miss, with him directing things like Meg 2: The Trench, a tragic misuse of his talents.
It turns out Odenkirk was just what Wheatley needed to put together a dark comedy that registers as one of the director’s macabre best—in part because Odenkirk has the dramatic chops to remain serious as things around him get funnier and gorier. They make for a great pairing.
Sporting a sweet 1970s fireman moustache (which makes him look like Saul from Better Call Saul in the Cinnabon years), Odenkirk plays Ulysses, a temporary sheriff in the little city of Normal, Minn. (The setting instantly contributes a Fargo vibe.)
He gets a few days of normal small-town life—including moose sightings—before discovering that the town is a holding place for extensive riches owned by overseas criminal forces. The townspeople know about it; they are in on it; and they will do whatever they need to do to protect their share of those riches.
This all leads up to a showdown in which Ulysses and a few other good people stand off against the rest of the town, resulting in beheadings, eye gouges, stabbings, shootings and entrail-scattering explosions. Wheatley has a horror-film pedigree, so the kills are full-on graphic horror/comedy in nature. He also proves more than apt at staging a good fight scene.
The supporting cast includes Lena Headey as a friendly, or maybe not-so-friendly, bartender; Billy MacLellan as the hapless deputy; and Henry (the Fonz!) Winkler as the mayor. (Odenkirk and Winkler did a live Q&A, broadcast to about 300 theaters, after a screening, and it was fun to see the normally mild-mannered Winkler talk about playing against type in Normal. He seemed to enjoy watching Odenkirk get his face kicked in.)
Odenkirk is literally one of the funniest men on the planet, with Saturday Night Live, Tim and Eric Awesome Show: Great Job!, The Ben Stiller Show and, most notably, Mr. Show on his resume. When I mentioned Odenkirk to my Gen Z pal the other day, he only knew him as Saul from Breaking Bad and the kick-ass guy from Nobody.
Here I go again, sounding like I am 85 years old and trumpeting the comedic talents of Odenkirk. Hey, young folks: Odenkirk is a comedy god. He wrote the “I live in a van down by the river!” sketch for Chris Farley. Mr. Show is the funniest American TV show ever created. You will do yourself a favor if you spend some time on YouTube with the funny side of Odenkirk.
As for his ass-kicking side, he’s definitely made a name for himself, teaming up with stunt coordinator and actor Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick, Nobody) for training. Odenkirk does a lot of his own stunt-fighting in his action films, and Bernhardt is a big reason he looks authentic. I never thought I would type the words, “Odenkirk does a lot of his own stunt-fighting in his action films.” Again, this is one of the creators of Mr. Show! It’s a strange world in which we live.
Normal is anything but normal. It’s a crazy movie that isn’t afraid to push the limits of an R rating by showering the screen with cascading blood. (If that’s not your bag, I advise lighter fare.) I have a great appreciation for the 63-year-old Odenkirk suddenly deciding he’s an action star these last few years, and bringing some good comedy and gravitas to the genre. The dude is funny—and fearless.