'Normal' Review
- Michael Petrey
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Release Date: 04/17/26 [Cinemas]
Genre: Action. Crime. Thriller.
MPAA: Rated R.
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures.
The Verdict: A Must-See
Bob Odenkirk continues his winning streak as leading man/action star, with a continued fruitful collaboration with Derek Kolstead (Writer, John Wick series, Nobody). Odenkirk and Kolsted work with director Ben Wheatley (Director, Free Fire) who is no stranger to the action genre, blends a story of a seemingly small, quiet town who is harboring dark secrets of corruption, stashed gold and a dangerous pact made with the Yakuza, a powerful and deadly Japanese crime syndicate.
The film’s first act opens with a seemingly disconnected scene of Japanese gangsters taking part in a bloody ritual to show their devotion to the gang and it’s made clear immediately, these people arent messing around. They don’t waste time pointing fingers, they’ll snatch yours as trophies of loyalty.
We then cut to seemingly mundane, ‘Aw shucks’ boulevard of Middletown America in the form of Normal, Minnesota. Sheriff Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) is brought on as intermin Sheriff of the town after the passing of their original sheriff. It’s made clear through Ulysses actions he’s quite lenient when it’s come to crime fighting and airs more on the side of we’re all just trying to make it through our lives with as a little comflict as possible. Despite his ‘look the other way to avoid trouble’ attitude, Ulysses displays a compassion for the criminals he crosses paths with and once things turn sideways and he’s no longer able to trust his law enforcement colleagues in Normal, he falls back on the fast bonds he’s developed with the flawed but inherently good natured law breakers of normal to fight against a corrupt town that’s turned against them and are out for 24 karat gold brick blood money.
The setup of the movie is effective and quickly introduces you to Ulysses and his unlikely impromptu comrades in crisis: a pair of attempted bank robbers and a troubled drunk driver. Once the setup is complete and the film’s anchoring twist is revealed, the film goes hard with nonstop, relentless action. The action is fiercely creative and energetic. The action and death scenes range from realistic to ludicrous, playing with both grounded violence and almost fantastical violence that would more likely be found in a Final Destination film. There is so much that unfolds driven by luck and chance, it’s almost as if the ‘bad guys turned good’ are being propelled towards an unlikely victory solely by the willpower of the movie-going audience rooting for them.
The movie reminded me a lot of Hot Fuzz at times, which i bestow as a great compliment, with Hot Fuzz being one of my all time favorites. Despite common elements, Normal strives to blaze its own creative path in the action comedy genre instead of relying primarily on parody. It subtly sets up story elements in the beginning that eventually lead to a very satisfying conclusion and pay off in the end. You may think you have the movie figured out and where it’s heading but then it will end up surprising you with the directions it takes.
Normal is a highly entertaining action popcorn flick led by the multi-faceted Bob Odenkirk, colorful supporting characters that are easy to get behind and cheer on (and root against) as the movie unfolds. Normal’s fuel-filled tank ignites into a rarified communal celebration of well executed action, best experienced as part of a live audience with a shared love of action and adventure. Normal is anything but, featuring stylized, imaginative action sequences and a tightly knit narrative that throws impactful punches without pulling any.
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