By Paul Hall
Individuals around the world live their lives in relative anonymity — going to work, completing daily chores, and spending time with their family and friends. It could be just the routine of it all or a lack of motivation, but in the film Nobody, life is all about hiding out, keeping safe and starting fresh.
Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is living the life of a nobody. A day includes breakfast, commuting, taking out the trash and all of the monotony that goes along with just existing. When his family is robbed one night, Hutch drops a notch or two in the eyes of his son and friends as he refuses to get involved. He’s a simple man and, some might say, simply a nobody. But as with any individual, there is more to Hutch than meets the eye.
When the mild-mannered family man realizes that not only was some money taken during the attack but his daughter’s bracelet is gone as well, things get personal. But revenge will take a bit of a detour and we will soon find out if Hutch is simply a nobody or really a somebody. While his family is in the dark, there are those who know Hutch’s past and those who know the John Wick-esque hell that is ready to be unleashed.
Odenkirk is the right man for the role of Hutch. He glides with ease from common man just surviving the day-to-day grind to aggressive retaliator who will rectify any wrong. It’s a thing of beauty to watch, as you totally believe his performance in either role and that’s vital to the success of Nobody. If you don’t accept Odenkirk, you won’t accept the entire film.
Alongside Odenkirk is a strong yet unremarkable villain in Aleksey Serebryakov, and a crowd-pleasing role for Christopher Lloyd. But make no mistake, regardless of the supporting cast — which also includes the underused Connie Nielsen — this is Odenkirk’s film to succeed or fail in.
Yes, Nobody falls in a long line of revenge films throughout the years, but it manages to be both fun and violent, and it feels real. Odenkirk resonates with viewers in a way that feels relatable and that alone makes the film a winner. I cannot tell a lie: I loved Christopher Lloyd as well, but this type of film needs to be witty and fun to last, and it does.
In the sea of films in the marketplace that deal with revenge, Nobody is far from iconic, but there is definitely somebody on the other end of the chaos.
Paul’s Grade: B
Nobody
Rated R
Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd
Director: Ilya Naishuller