In Review - Nobody

 Last night I needed something to watch on Netflix. The new arrival was Nobody. The best description I can come up with is John Wick having a midlife crisis. It mixes exciting action and comedy with a surprisingly good sound track. 

The plot is pretty simple. Hutch is living the life of an Average Joe. He has a wife, kids, a 9 to 5 job, and a stagnant suburban life where the days all blend together. But then two people break in to rob his house one night. They don't shoot his dog (he's more of a cat person), but they do murder his pride. Family, neighbors, and even the police wonder why he didn't take a swing at the thieves when he had the chance. Frustrated, he breaks out some old skills to get some revenge. This leads to unforseen consequences with the Russian mob. 

The action sequences were impressive. They had good coreography that kept things moving. Much like John Wick (they are actualy from the same studio) you have one very skilled individual taking on an army of assassins. That aside, it keeps a certain realism about it. People get hit and fall down. Even Hutch is worse for ware after a couple of rounds. There are not to many quick cuts and most of the action happens with a clear view. 

Bob Odenkirk is a surprising action star. Clearly he put in the effort for the fight scenes. That said, he has the acting chops to sell the drama scenes and good comedic timing. He is very believable as some nobody that has just been beaten down by life, even if that is a facade. 

Christopher Lloyd plays Hutch's father. He is as charming as ever. He adds to some of the slightly more surreal elements that helps to seperate the film from John Wick. 

Aleksie Serebryakov provides a fun villian. He does a great job of coming off as a brutal mobster. 

So, here comes a minor spoiler. Given the obvious John Wick comparisons, it is worth looking at how they reveal the nature of the protagonist. One of the scenes that helped sell John Wick is when mob boss Viggo calls Aurelio to ask why he hit his son. Aurelio tells him that Viggo's son stole John Wick's car...and shot his dog. All Viggo has to say is, "Oh." That combind with Viggo educating his son on how bad that is helps to sell the John Wick identity. For Hutch it is when he is surrounded by a group of men wanting his cash. One notices a tattoo, appologizes, then locks himself behind a steel door with six deadbolts. This serves as incentive to the others to talk things out. 

I give it a recomendation for anyone that enjoys the John Wick films. It is clearly in the same vein, but with a different vibe.