Bob Odenkirk's New Movie Is a Gripping Action Flick Every Fan of the Genre Must Watch

Ben Wheatley's crime thriller, Normal, has opened in theaters. It's a story reminiscent of the Coen brothers': a sleepy town, criminal secrets, and a man in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Known for his smart genre movies with obligatory twists, Wheatley transforms the crime thriller into a hybrid of Assault on Precinct 13 and Hot Fuzz.

What Is 'Normal' About?

Ulysses, a substitute sheriff, arrives in the sleepy town of Normal, Minnesota. He is there to fill in for a lawman who died under mysterious circumstances until a more worthy successor can be elected.

Ulysses doesn't plan to make much of a splash, and the town seems to have long forgotten the purpose of police officers. The extent of the local law enforcement's routine is a broken vending machine and a verbal altercation between neighbors.

However, Ulysses notices something else. Almost every resident has a substantial arsenal of weapons, and boxes of explosives are scattered throughout the police station's vault. When a couple of out-of-towners raid the local bank, the employees refuse to open the vault.

'Normal' Works More Like a Neo-Western Than a Standard Action Movie

Despite its formulaic nature, Normal has several advantages. First, Ben Wheatley is an impressively technical director – the movie's pacing and direction far surpass the script.

Wheatley uses the familiar "lone hero against the system" formula to create a gripping spectacle from classic genres and a simple story.

Upon closer inspection, however, the dark secrets of the small town turn out not to be so dark, and Ulysses's trauma is a dubious motivation. However, perhaps this is precisely the effect that screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who worked on three John Wick movies and Nobody, was aiming for.

Instead of acting like another small-town thriller, Normal acts like a twitchy neo-Western fused with black comedy, where snowy Minnesota replaces the dusty frontier.

'Normal' Is Worth Watching if Only for Bob Odenkirk and the Brilliant Supporting Cast

Normal's second trump card is its stellar cast. In addition to Bob Odenkirk, Lena Headey, Henry Winkler, and Billy MacLellan have their moments of glory. Their characters prove to be expendable, albeit charismatic, elements on Ulysses's journey to free the town from the criminal scourge.

Wheatley knows audiences came for shootouts, grotesqueries, and the destruction of the facade of ordinary America, and he delivers on all fronts.

Normal isn't perfect and doesn't try to stand out from other action movies. Like its main character, however, it simply gets the job done, giving audiences a satisfying thrill ride of gunfights, dark humor, and collective paranoia.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Normal'?

• Normal has 79% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.0/10.

• On Letterboxd, Normal scored 3.1/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Normal'?

Normal is currently playing in theaters.