Novocaine: What Happens When You Cannot Feel Pain?

The first time I heard of the medical/congenital condition called CIPA Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis was from a movie. Since the condition wasn't given so much preeminence I just brushed it off as something not so important. I was only reminded of the condition a few days ago when a friend of mine breezed into my dm and the first thing the friend asked was “what is CIPA”. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to do some research to avoid dishing out wrong medical information.

After a brief discussion with the friend about the congenital disorder that affects the nervous system, I asked my own questions, leading with “where did you hear about this condition from”. I was intrigued because the condition is a very rare one that isn't really talked about, with only a few hundred cases world wide. The friend said he only just heard about it courtesy of a movie. My successive question was “which movie?”. It turns out that the title of the movie is Novocaine which sounds very similar to cocaine. One can only imagine how fast I assumed the plot of this movie with the little information I got.

About The Movie

Nathan, an assistant bank manager, basically lives a mundane and insipid life majorly owing to his rare congenital condition that makes him insensitive to pain. The high walls Nathan has built around himself as means to protect himself from the world come crashing down when he meets the spontaneous and easy-going Sherry. The movie takes off when Sherry is kidnapped by bank robbers and Nathan sets out to rescue his dear Sherry, daming all the consequences. Believe me when I say the consequences were quite dire.

Novocaine is an action adventure comedy thriller film that runs for an hour and fifty minutes(1hr 50min). Released on the 21st of March, 2025, the film has Dan Berk and Robert Olsen as its directors. The film has an interesting range of casts starring; Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Betty Gabriel, Ray Nicholson and Jacob Batalon.

My Opinion

It amuses me how people living with CIPA are portrayed to react to pain. It can be hard trying to emulate an emotion that you have never felt in your entire life before and this is what made Novocaine a somewhat comic watch for me. Nathan, the sympathetic gentleman always trying his best not to hurt people and when he eventually does, he apologises like his life depends on it. The scenes that portrayed Nathan unwillingly inflicting pain on others were some of the most satirical scenes in the movie. However, I must mention that the satirical scenes in this film were not “laugh out loud” moments but rather, these scenes provoked brief snickers and chuckles.

One other standout aspect of this film for me was the educational aspect. The scriptwriters not only mentioned a rare medical condition but they went the extra mile to explain further and even demonstrate how real life bearers of the condition would act in certain circumstances. Although the life expectancy of people with this medical condition is 25 years, I cannot still shake off the feeling that they are indeed superheroes. Imagine not being able to feel one of the most dreaded emotions known to mankind? Phenomenal!

Aside from the educational and comical aspects, Novocaine wasn't a really exciting watch for me. The main character was an awe because of his condition, sure, but aside from that, nothing else really stood out for me. The action scenes were well executed but the fight choreography was bland and monotonous.

The characters, on the other hand, lacked depth. Usually, when viewers are given a peek into the characters lives, it's usually shown and not said but with Novocaine, the reverse was the case. It felt like after the movie directors figured out the characters had no real depth, they opted to change a few lines in the script just to make sure the viewers got a glimpse into the characters' lives. It would have been really interesting to see what Nathan’s life is like outside his workspace and Sherry? With the lack of depth, it seemed like all of the characters lived really boring lives.

The buildup of suspense was also non-existent. I didn't have anything to look forward to and this may have something to do with how predictable the plot was from the start. The pacing was not also at its finest but was okay.

Despite the many flaws, The film had some redeeming qualities courtesy of how charming Nathan's performance was. My favourite scene in this movie would be the part when Nathan tasted a pie for the very first time in his life without mistakenly biting off his tongue. The joy and brilliance Nathan demonstrated looked really genuine. And in that moment, I was actually happy for him.

Recommendation and Rating

Although “Novocaine” was not an extremely thrilling watch for me, it wasn't so awful either. For what it's worth, I found a little bit of satisfaction in how the events culminated. Fans of action thriller films may not find this movie very interesting but if you're looking for a movie to pass the time with, Novocaine can come in very handy. I would give the movie a 5/10 rating.

Fun Fact: the movie title Novocaine is actually the name of a local anaesthetic commonly used in dental procedures. It acts swiftly to numb sensation in the treatment area. In line with how Nathan couldn't feel any sensation in the movie, Novocaine is actually a pretty good movie title in my opinion.

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