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Bob Odenkirk takes an unexpected turn in Ilya Naishuller ’s “Nobody,” a clever action flick that repositions the star of “Better Call Saul” as someone closer to Liam Neeson ’s action heroes. While imagining one of the brilliant minds behind “Mr. Show” as an action hero may seem like a stretch, it turns out to be a stroke of genius as Odenkirk grounds his violent protagonist with a very special set of skills in a way that other actors would have missed. He’s great as a man who has tried to leave a violent past behind, but movies have taught us for generations that that’s easier said than done.

“Nobody” opens with a montage of the mundanity of Hutch Mansell’s daily existence. Every day, he scans the same transit card; every week, he misses the trash man by mere seconds. Life is a series of routines, which has eaten away at his marriage to Becca ( Connie Nielsen ) while providing a relatively happy home for his kids, Blake ( Gage Munroe ) and Abby ( Paisley Cadorath ). Hutch works at a manufacturing company owned by his father-in-law Eddie ( Michael Ironside ) and dominated by his alpha brother-in-law Charlie ( Billy MacLellan ). Luckily, writer Derek Kolstad doesn’t waste too much time on Hutch’s normie suburban existence, thrusting viewers into the action of “Nobody” almost immediately.

It starts with a home invasion, in which two bottom-level criminals rob the Mansells of some spending money and a few trinkets. Hutch has the drop on one of them, golf club raised in the air, but he doesn’t take the chance at elevating the violence, much to the disappointment of his son and disdain of his dude-bro male neighbor. When it looks like the invaders may have taken poor Abby’s kitty-kat bracelet, Hutch snaps, tracking them down to retrieve it.

However, “Nobody” is not really a “Death Wish”-esque story of an average guy turned vigilante. There are hints very early on that Hutch isn’t just a normal suburbanite. Even his man cave seems laid out to hint at a different background than your neighbor, including a radio through which he speaks to his brother Harry (RZA), who is in hiding. Why? And what’s up with the box of fake IDs and money that Hutch's father David ( Christopher Lloyd ) has been storing away? When the bracelet retrieval job goes a little sideways, Hutch is on a bus heading home when he encounters a group of obnoxious drunks harassing a woman who’s on her own. He takes it upon himself to protect her and essentially starts a violent war with a Russian crime lord named Yulian ( Aleksey Serebryakov ).

The bus scene that initiates the real action of “Nobody” is the kind of action choreography work of art that will have devoted audiences applauding at screenings for years to come. It’s a clever piece of filmmaking that starts with Hutch throwing himself into a few awkward exchanges with his new enemies and continues to elevate, almost as if this encounter is awakening his skill set one punch at a time. Choreographed by the team behind “ John Wick ,” it’s the type of action scene that people will be mentioning with a smile for a long time, and a reminder of the adrenalin that a film can get from a creatively crafted action scene.

Other than a scene that sets up Yulian as a psychopathic villain that runs a bit too long, Naishuller is smart enough to use the momentum from the bus scene to push through the rest of the story. “Nobody” is an incredibly quick film, an experience that feels nowhere near as long as its 92-minute runtime. One could argue that the movie could have used a bit more prologue that would make Becca and their children into characters instead of functions for the plot, but there’s a tightness to “Nobody” that’s often lacking in modern films, one that’s reminiscent of the economy of the “John Wick” flicks, which is one of that trilogy’s greatest strengths.

Then there’s Odenkirk. Watching “Nobody” a second time made it easier to appreciate how much he brings to a role that someone could have easily sleepwalked through for a paycheck (this would be a much lesser movie with the current king of the Paycheck Performance, Bruce Willis , for example). Odenkirk deftly sells both halves of Hutch, making both his current family life and his violent past believable. It’s a smart performance, which should come as no surprise to fans of his work on “Breaking Bad” and “Saul,” but it’s also a wonderfully physical one in that he makes the stunt work and fight choreography genuine. The supporting cast is strong—particularly RZA and Lloyd, both of whom know exactly what to bring to this project—but it’s Odenkirk’s film through and through, and he nails it.

Unsurprisingly from the director of the insanity that is “ Hardcore Henry ,” Naishuller has a habit of overplaying his stylistic hand every now and then with slo-mo montages set to unusual music choices. And there’s a version of the film that feels like it has higher stakes—no one ever really feels in jeopardy here (at least “John Wick” had the dog). But Naishuller ultimately gets what matters here right, giving a talented actor an unexpected vehicle to drive really fast with just enough bloodshed for action fans, and not too much gore for average audiences. It’s the rare modern action film that makes me hope it does well enough to produce a sequel. (I also think there’s potential for a crossover “John Wick vs. Nobody” project that would make roughly a gajillion dollars worldwide.)

“Nobody” works because it values scene construction and action choreography above all else, leaving behind pretension and the overplotting that's been common in the genre in recent years. It doesn’t break any molds so much as present a really good time within a familiar structure. After a year with too few action movies because of the shelving of the blockbuster, “Nobody” gives viewers an adrenalin rush that almost feels new again. 

Only in theaters tomorrow, March 26th.

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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Nobody (2021)

Rated R for strong violence and bloody images, language throughout and brief drug use.

Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell

Connie Nielsen as Becca Mansell

Christopher Lloyd as David Mansell

Gage Munroe as Blake Mansell

RZA as Harry Mansell

Aleksey Serebryakov as Yulian Kuznetsov

  • Ilya Naishuller
  • Derek Kolstad

Cinematographer

  • Pawel Pogorzelski
  • Evan Schiff
  • William Yeh
  • David Buckley

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Nobody Reviews

nobody movie review reddit

It has a fast-paced start that often benefits from Bob Odenkirk's physical prowess for action sequences, but unfortunately it often stumbles over a regular tone that prevents it from escaping the clichés of the genre. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Apr 15, 2024

nobody movie review reddit

... A film that aims nothing more than to play with genre boundaries to put the action story back into work; well-told, better-filmed, and one hundred percent delightful. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Dec 4, 2023

nobody movie review reddit

Odenkirk submits his action hero punch card & can take my money any day of the week with it all. It knows how wild it is & it goes about it in spades with its 90 minute runtime

Full Review | Jul 26, 2023

nobody movie review reddit

Despite its intentions, Nobody feels condescending and portentous far more often than it actually feels campy and self-aware.

Full Review | Jul 21, 2023

nobody movie review reddit

…Nobody’s standard-issue plotting and tired male posturing land far short of the B-Movie classic it aspires to, but there is enough brisk action and some bonuses, largely through the casting of veterans like Michael Ironside and Christopher Lloyd…

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 18, 2023

nobody movie review reddit

Nobody is a bone-crunching, knuckle-busting, lip-splitting action film that has every intention of dragging you across concrete with the taste of asphalt in your mouth and bits of glass in your forehead.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 9, 2022

nobody movie review reddit

Nobody is an arresting action showcase for star Bob Odenkirk and a skillfully staged spectacle of stuntwork nearly on par with the John Wick trilogy.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Sep 1, 2022

nobody movie review reddit

A unique take on the action genre, Nobody is lean, mean, and showcases a delightful Odenkirk leading the way through all the carnage.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 17, 2022

nobody movie review reddit

As “Nobody” propels forward the violence gets crazier and the body count mounts. Yet the movie never loses its self-awareness.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 17, 2022

Nobody feels like the cinematic brother to one of my favourite films of recent years, Michael Caine's Harry Brown, equally as violent and satisfying.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 16, 2022

nobody movie review reddit

A well-executed and fun film full of gunfire left and right... There's never a surplus of those. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Aug 9, 2022

nobody movie review reddit

Hardly an enlightened examination of modern manhood.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Mar 16, 2022

nobody movie review reddit

In a world filled with a recent collection of well-made action films, Nobody is a great addition to this action renaissance. If this is the Bob Odenkirk John Wick, when can we expect the Rhea Seehorn Atomic Blonde?

Full Review | Mar 8, 2022

nobody movie review reddit

Nobody will thrill people who fancy some violent laughs. Its perhaps best summed up by Lloyds assessment of his sons handiwork excessive, but glorious!

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 2, 2022

nobody movie review reddit

The director's knack for bravado action shines in part because Kolstad's script makes us care about Hutch, but we only care because he is perfectly cast.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Feb 12, 2022

nobody movie review reddit

In a world full of tough talkers who boast what theyd do if given half a chance, heres a refreshing reminder what you dont know is reason enough to probably leave someone alone.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Feb 3, 2022

Even better is Odenkirk who trained for two years to become an action hero - and owns it.

Full Review | Nov 30, 2021

Odenkirk is unsurprisingly brilliant, and the film is a hell of a lot of fun.

Full Review | Nov 19, 2021

nobody movie review reddit

In all honesty the most creative part of Nobody is how Kolstad has effectively sold the same screenplay twice to two different movie studios.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Oct 24, 2021

The fight sequences and stunt choreography are first class, as is the slyly calibrated performance of Odenkirk as Hutch.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 22, 2021

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‘Nobody’ Review: Bob Odenkirk Gets His Death Wish On in an Action-Geek Fantasy That’s Not What It Seems

It may be preposterous, but Ilya Naishuller's don't-get-mad-get-even thriller confirms he's a born filmmaker.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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Bob Odenkirk Nobody Film Review

Before there were superhero films, there were don’t-get-mad-get-even films. You might say that the two genres have nothing to do with each other. But in the early-to-mid-’70s, when the revenge film as we know it was coming into being with “Dirty Harry,” “Walking Tall,” and “Death Wish,” part of the premise of the new pulp righteousness was that a man who seethed softly and carried a big weapon to cleanse the streets of “scum” had the kind of invincibility we now associate with demigods in spandex. The revenge genre, which could also be called the defend-yourself-because-no-one-else-will genre, became a mythology, a fusion of lone-wolf Western nostalgia and right-wing nihilism that any actor with enough muscle mass and the right scowl could plug into. Sly and Arnold, Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal, Bruce Willis — they all, in a way, played variations on the same character, the ruthless bruiser who could never be defeated because he had the wrath of nobility on his side. His squint of cool rage was the only superpower he needed.

Which brings us to Bob Odenkirk . You might say that “ Nobody ,” in which the wily star of “Better Call Saul” and “Breaking Bad” plays a glum suburban drone who gets in touch with his inner thug-bashing badass, follows every rule of the genre. It’s got a hero who starts off as a workaday family man, with a nice wife (Connie Nielsen) and two nice kids. Then he’s attacked by criminals in his own home. After which he starts to play dirty, give into his death wish, and walk tall.

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It’s in the middle of the night that a pair of robbers slip into the house. Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell, hearing noises, goes downstairs to investigate, and there’s a scuffle — but it’s between his teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe), and one of the intruders. Hutch, holding a golf club for protection, can’t bring himself to use it. The robbers leave, but Hutch finds himself being called a wimp. By who? By the cops, his son, and his macho neighbor. By everyone who hears about the incident.

We think we’re watching a movie about a paragon of middle-class mildness, like Bryan Cranston’s high-school teacher in “Breaking Bad” (or Bronson’s architect in “Death Wish”), who’s about to tap into something he has never felt before. But then Hutch, in a moment of existential meltdown, takes a midnight bus ride, and the bus is soon occupied by half a dozen Russian goons looking for trouble. Hutch takes the handgun his brother gave him and pointedly drops the bullets out of the chamber and onto the floor. He then takes on the entire gang with his bare hands (and a blade or two), introducing the fight with the Eastwood-worthy line, “I hope these assholes like hospital food.” Moments later, Hutch walks away, bruised but unbowed, and his victims are indeed headed for the hospital.

How did this happen? Hutch, it turns out, was never what he seemed. He’s got quite a backstory. And “Nobody” isn’t the movie it seemed either. It was directed by Ilya Naishuller, the audacious punk video auteur who has made just one previous feature, “Hardcore Henry” (2015), a spectacularly grandiose and innovative sci-fi noir action thriller done almost entirely in one shot, all from the point-of-view of its cybernetic hero. I found it at once annoying and amazing, and “Nobody” proves again that Naishuller, born in Russia and raised in London, may be as far as you can get from a psychological realist (the spirit of sin-city graphic novels and first-person-shooter video games flows through his blood) but he’s a born filmmaker.

“Nobody” is a thoroughly over-the-top and, at times, loony-tunes entry in the live-and-let-die vengeance-is-mine genre. Is it a good movie? Not exactly. But its 90 minutes fly by, and it’s a canny vehicle for Odenkirk, the unlikeliest star of a righteous macho bloodbath since Dustin Hoffman got his bear trap on in “Straw Dogs.” With his nerdishly parted receding hair, officious voice, and crestfallen air, Odenkirk could be the gloomier brother of Steve Carell, and you may wonder how we could start to buy him as the scariest person in the room. But Hutch possesses not so much brute strength as a certain deadly secret training and mad skill, and Odenkirk shows you how the payback brings him back to life. He’ll need every bit of that skill, too. One of the thugs he damaged is the brother of Yulian, a Russian mobster played by Aleksey Serebyakov (from “Leviathan”) with a fearsome magnetism that’s at once authentic and operatic. He’s like the Frankenstein’s monster of hard-partying hooligans.

The plot of “Nobody” is, in a word, preposterous, but Odenkirk’s conviction makes it work, as does the deranged twist of having Hutch team up with his retired FBI agent father (Christopher Lloyd) and adoptive brother (RZA). The movie is all about how Hutch, beneath his safe and colorless life, has to get back in touch with who he really is. And maybe that’s a metaphor for the way a lot of middle-class nobodies feel. It would be overstating things, though, to push the meaning of a thriller like this one too far. It’s just a cardboard fable. But when the ultraviolence erupts, the movie pops.

Reviewed online, March 18, 2021. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 91 MIN.

  • Production: A Universal Pictures release, in association with Perfect World Pictures, of an 87North, Eighty Two Films, Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment production. Producers: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Braden Aftergood, Bob Odenkirk, Marc Provissiero. Executive producers: Derek Kolstad, Marc S. Fischer, Annie Marter, Tobey Maguire.
  • Crew: Director: Ilya Naishuller. Screenplay: Derek Kolstad. Camera: Pawel Pogorzelski. Editors: William, Yeh, Evan Schiff. Music: David Buckley.
  • With: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Alexey Serebryakov, Christopher Lloyd, RZA, Michael Ironside, Colin Salmon, Billy MacLellan, Gage Munroe.

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Nobody First Reviews: A Bloody, Funny, Stylish Shot of Adrenaline

Critics say the bob odenkirk movie feels like the snarky cousin of john wick , full of sly winks, memorable characters, and a healthy dose of outrageous action..

nobody movie review reddit

TAGGED AS: Action , First Reviews , movies , reviews

From the creator of the John Wick   franchise comes Ilya Naishuller’ s Nobody , a similar action movie about a retired family man with a particular set of skills who goes up against the Russian mob. This one gives us comedic actor and Better Call Saul   star Bob Odenkirk as the unlikely lead, and according to most of the early reviews of the movie, it’s worth seeing for him alone. That and a ton of brutal action and a tone that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Here’s what critics are saying about Nobody :

Is Nobody a good time at the movies?

Nobody doesn’t take itself seriously and just wants the viewer to have fun and have a moment to tune out from the real world for a couple of hours. –  Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds
Is it a good movie? Not exactly. But its 90 minutes fly by, and it’s a canny vehicle for Odenkirk. –  Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Naishuller and Odenkirk prove to be a winning duo of entertaining chaos. –  Preston Barta, Fresh Fiction
An immensely entertaining experience… You’re in for a wild ride that never lets up. –  Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting

Will it satisfy action junkies?

Action-movie lovers get plenty to love, from an appearance from 1980s tough-guy actor Michael Ironside to well-crafted two-fisted affairs. – Brian Truitt, USA Today
Its approach to methodically crafted action will leave you cheering in your seat… This is an action film crafted by action fans with style, love, and the slyest of winks. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects
Nobody  doesn’t just exist in the action genre but adds to it. – Kate Sánchez, But Why Tho? A Geek Community
The combat, while not as flashily shot as the work of [ John Wick directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch], is utilitarian enough to get the job done. – Kyle Pinion, ScreenRex

Nobody

(Photo by Allen Fraser/©Universal Pictures)

How violent is it?

[The bus scene is] one of those movie fights that just goes on and on, the violence moving from brutal to funny through sheer, absurd duration. It’s amazing. – A.A. Dowd, AV Club
The hyper-stylization and blood-letting are grounded by the gallows humor. – Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting
Nobody  simply doubles down on the genre’s most immoral implication, for unquestioningly equating manliness with brute violence. – Chuck Bowen, Slant Magazine

How is Ilya Naishuller’s work as director ?

With his second feature, Ilya Naishuller has grown as a filmmaker and truly has the potential to be one of the most exciting action directors working. – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation
[He] may be as far as you can get from a psychological realist… but he’s a born filmmaker. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
Naishuller stages the action effectively (that bus sequence stands out), delivering visceral thrills even for those of us who are keeping our distance. – John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter
Naishuller is quite good at directing action. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

How does it look ?

Pawel Pogorzelski’s cinematography is just fabulous in the film… Violence has never looked this beautiful. – Dewey Singleton, AwardsWatch
Midsommar and Hereditary cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski brings the same slick camera maneuvers that elevated those movies to dreamlike planes in service of pure entertainment. – Eric Kohn, IndieWire
Shout out to cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski, because stylistic flair becomes that much more important as narrative throughlines are straighter than arrows. – Matt Donato, What to Watch

Nobody

How is Bob Odenkirk as an action hero?

He’s simply awesome and owns this movie. – Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson
A credible Jekyll and Hyde act… It’s a blast seeing the actor in this kind of role, even if  Nobody  does vaguely play like the nihilistic cartoon version of a Vince Gilligan arc. – A.A. Dowd, AV Club
The Odenkirk-ness is really all there is… which is enough to keep things interesting, if not make them all that good. – Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
[This] may leave you longing to watch  Better Call Saul  and Odenkirk’s thorny performance as Saul Goodman, a truly piercing dramatization of frustration and failure. – Chuck Bowen, Slant Magazine
Odenkirk deserves way better. – Kyle Pinion, ScreenRex

Does anyone in the supporting cast stand out ?

Christopher Lloyd is a special delight as Hutch’s shotgun-toting father. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects
Christopher Lloyd renews his classic mad-science energy with a devious twist. – Eric Kohn, IndieWire
An appearance by RZA as Hutch’s brother, whose own hidden talents aid Hutch in his quest for vengeance, also adds some comedic flair to this story. – Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds
Other than Odenkirk, they have little to work with and don’t leave an impression. – Chris Agar, ScreenRant

Nobody

How is the villain?

With a fearsome magnetism that’s at once authentic and operatic… He’s like the Frankenstein’s monster of hard-partying hooligans. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
It all goes downhill once the villain, Yulian, is dropped into play. – Kyle Pinion, ScreenRex
One of the blandest movie villains in recent memory. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
That Yulian fails to be compelling or intimidating contributes to the film’s overall low stakes. – Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting

What about the writing ?

The plot of Nobody is, in a word, preposterous… It’s just a cardboard fable. But when the ultraviolence erupts, the movie pops. – Owen Gleiberman, Variety
The plot is absurd and could fall apart easily when looking back on it… Is it trying to say anything? Not really. This is as slight as it gets. – Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment
There’s some unwise and unnecessary narration early on, but the already slim exposition is tidily delivered in oft-comedic ways. – Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects
Nobody  seems to think that if it follows a paint-by-numbers  Wick  formula, that’ll be enough. It’s not. – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm
The story lacks the emotional impact for the film to truly connect with viewers. – Chris Agar, ScreenRant

Nobody

Is the movie funny ?

The film also happens to be a masterclass in sardonic humor. – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation
This isn’t a parody, but it offers sly humor on many levels…[and] a couple of well-timed visual gags. – Brian Truitt, USA Today
I was hoping for more comic relief lines. – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

Is it trying too hard to be  John Wick ?

Kolstad’s script takes a similar idea but finds the different wrinkles to… create a unique film in the similar mold. – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation
Like Kolstad’s  John Wick , but it makes its own way with more humor and charisma than the more silent and gritty counterparts. – Kate Sánchez, But Why Tho? A Geek Community
You could call  Nobody  Wickian… In philosophy, however, we’re stuck in  Death Wish  territory. – A.A. Dowd, AV Club
If John Wick is Buster Keaton, Hutch is Harold Lloyd. – Aaron Neuwirth, We Live Entertainment
The influence is unmistakable to the point where it keeps  Nobody  from fully creating its own identity. – Joshua Starnes, VitalThrills.com

Nobody

Should it get its own franchise ?

Move over John Wick and make way for Hutch Mansell. – Dewey Singleton, AwardsWatch
[It] leaves you eager to follow the Mansells on any blood splatter-filled journey. – Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting
Nobody  features an instantly iconic action trio that I’d never imagine in a million a years. Now I want spinoffs and sequels with these characters. – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation
The worst thing you can say about it is this: It’s satisfying enough that it could spawn sequels, possibly distracting its star from the plum dramatic roles he deserves. – John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter

Nobody  releases in theaters on March 26, 2021.

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Nobody Is Just Good Enough Thanks to Bob Odenkirk

Portrait of Alison Willmore

Nobody is a movie about men who need, who are even secretly hoping for, an excuse to commit violence. They’re suburban men, family men, men who should be beyond such things — but if they had no choice , if their homes or their families were in peril, well, who could blame them? When Hutch Mansell ( Bob Odenkirk ) opts not to fight back when his house gets broken into by armed intruders, everyone around him shakes their heads in barely disguised contempt at his perceived weakness, but also at the perceived waste. “Did you even take a swing?” one of the cops who responds to the call asks when he sees the golf club Hutch had armed himself with. “I wish they’d have picked my place, you know? Could have used the exercise,” his weekend warrior neighbor smirks. Most damning of all is Hutch’s father-in-law Eddie (Michael Ironside), who owns the manufacturing business at which Hutch works, and who says, “I’m thinking you did the best thing you could. I mean, you being you.”

These men are all action heroes in waiting in their own heads, but the conceit in Nobody is that Hutch genuinely is one. He’s a trained killer in nondescript dad drag, one who gave up the life in favor of a peaceful existence with his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen), and their kids, Blake (Gage Munroe) and Abby (Paisley Cadorath). If this sounds a bit like the start of a certain Keanu Reeves franchise, know that Hutch also has a fateful run-in with the shiftless relative of a formidable Russian gangster who runs a neon-lit nightclub. Nobody shares the same screenwriter as John Wick and is produced by David Leitch, who, with fellow stuntman turned filmmaker Chad Stahelski, made the first John Wick before moving on to the equally fab Atomic Blonde . But it’s directed by Ilya Naishuller, whose 2015 debut Hardcore Henry was a 96-minute barrage shot entirely from the perspective of its protagonist — a movie with brashness to spare and the sensibility of a tween spitting slurs into his headset while on his eighth hour of a Call of Duty marathon. Naishuller doesn’t bring the elegant coherence that Leitch and Stahelski do to their fight sequences or manage the same touch of absurdity to lighten up the brutal excesses.

What he does have is Bob Odenkirk, and watching Odenkirk join the middle-aged action hero fold is pleasurable enough to make Nobody worth the while, even if it’s an obvious echo of other, better recent films. What else have you got to watch right now, anyway? Remember movies? Dumb, fun movies? Odenkirk may have done a bunch of well-documented training for the role, but he still looks like an unremarkable guy in Nobody , someone whose fitness and general badassery did not anoint him with accompanying cool. Working as a one-man clean-up crew was apparently as much a family business as his current paper-pushing gig. Hutch’s father, David (Christopher Lloyd), lives in a retirement home but gives off hints of a storied past, while Hutch’s brother, Harry (RZA), did his own opting out by faking his death, serving mostly as a confidant and adviser over the radio. Everyone else in Hutch’s life treats him as barely visible, though the film, not always convincingly, makes gestures at this being his fault as much as anyone else’s. Hutch has, in his own words, “overcorrected,” turning himself into the parent who makes breakfast no one eats, who sensibly takes public transportation, and whose real-estate agent spouse is the more successful one in their sexless marriage.

It’d be nice if Nobody contained any trace of irony or introspection to the way it connects Hutch’s malaise to its depiction of his emasculation, or acknowledged the enduring ugliness underlying those fantasies of getting to fight off intruders coming to take what’s yours. But Odenkirk doesn’t play Hutch as a supercharged version of an angry white man looking for an excuse to shoot someone. Instead, he approaches the character as someone who misses doing the only thing he was good at, even if he doesn’t miss the life of isolation and secrecy that accompanied it. The first time his character heads out into the night, it’s to retrieve something he believes was stolen from his home in the robbery — a mission that leaves him regretful and hating himself even more. It’s on the bus ride home that he has an encounter with a group of drunken hooligans, a run-in that will spark an escalating battle with a sociopathic criminal big shot named Yulian (Aleksey Serebryakov). But there on the bus, watching those would-be toughs harass a young woman and exude trouble, Hutch starts smiling. It’s the grin of an addict committing to breaking sobriety after years. It’s the grin of someone who has finally found himself in a situation in which he has no choice but to commit violence, and the relief on Odenkirk’s face is wonderfully complicated — enough to want him to try action out again, next time in a movie that’s more than half-baked.

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Screen Rant

Nobody review: bob odenkirk is john wick lite in emotionally flat action.

Nobody delivers plenty of hard-hitting action audiences expect, but the story lacks the emotional impact for the film to truly connect with viewers.

For years, audiences have known Bob Odenkirk as lawyer Saul Goodman in the  Breaking Bad universe. In  Nobody , the actor tries his hand at being an action star. The film is written by Derek Kolstad, part of the creative team behind the now-iconic  John Wick franchise. Because of that connection, it was very easy to draw comparisons between  John Wick and  Nobody , with the hope being the latter could be a springboard to the next great genre series. Unfortunately, the film falls short of those aspirations.  Nobody delivers plenty of hard-hitting action audiences expect, but the story lacks the emotional impact for the film to truly connect with viewers.

In  Nobody , Odenkirk stars as Hutch Mansell, an average family man stuck in the same daily routine, living a rather mundane existence. That is until he becomes victim to a home invasion, during which he allows the perpetrators to get the better of him. This personal failure awakens a long-dormant side of Hutch. Before long, he finds himself taking action and standing up for himself to criminals. Unfortunately, this new approach puts Hutch in the crosshairs of dangerous drug lord Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksey Serebraykov), leaving Hutch to fight for his life against a group of Russians.

Related: Nobody: Everything We Know About Bob Odenkirk's John Wick Clone

Kolstad's script borrows some tricks from the  John Wick playbook, namely in the sense it paints Hutch as a man with a violent past who's looking to move on to something more fulfilling. Sadly, this angle isn't fully fleshed out in  Nobody , as the film barely digs beyond the surface level of Hutch's family life. His wife and two children aren't so much realized characters as they are devices designed to illustrate Hutch's current state and attempt to get audiences to care about the protagonist. This makes the ensuing action sequences feel standard rather than cathartic, since  Nobody lacks a truly engaging emotional hook to draw viewers in. The thin narrative is further hurt by there not being a rich and interesting mythology to prop up  Nobody's world, so the screenplay comes across as generic instead of innovative.

Nobody  director Ilya Naishuller, best known for  Hardcore Henry , is clearly in his wheelhouse here, crafting a series of fun action set pieces. Nothing in  Nobody comes close to reaching the heights of  John Wick or similar titles, but they're still effective and filled with brutality to help deliver on  Nobody's R-rating. All of the action is also easy to follow, primarily taking place in wider angles with a lack of quick cuts. Due to the way  Nobody is shot, it's easy to tell Odenkirk committed himself to the physical component of his character, which definitely helps the action scenes flow and land with the intended impact. In terms of the story, they're rarely anything more than superficial thrills, but those looking for hard-hitting action will probably find something to enjoy. The bus fight that takes place early in the film is one sequence that stands out above the rest.

Odenkirk channels his likable screen presence and charisma to mold Hutch into someone the audience can root for. Part of the appeal of his casting, and what works well in the movie, is that he isn't the prototypical choice for this kind of role, but still finds a way to pull it off convincingly. Odenkirk's dramatic and comedic chops are also utilized well, particularly in scenes when Hutch reflects on his life and choices he's made. However, he is forced to carry the film on his shoulders, as many of the other roles are thinly-drawn. The supporting cast, consisting of big names like Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, RZA, and others, do not have much to do. This isn't to say anyone in  Nobody delivers a bad performance, it's just that other than Odenkirk, they have little to work with and don't leave an impression.

Instead of being the next  John Wick ,  Nobody plays out more as  John Wick lite, which could be disappointing for some. It's fun to see Odenkirk try something new at this stage in his career, and  Nobody clearly knows what it is and never takes itself too seriously (see: the moments of levity, the soundtrack full of licensed classics). Still, these merits don't truly help elevate the final product beyond fleeting entertainment. There's still a dearth of high-profile genre releases due to the pandemic, so those looking for stylish action may latch on to  Nobody . Still, it's not a title that demands to be seen on the big screen, especially with Universal making their movies available on-demand shortly after theatrical release. Those interested can wait until  Nobody can be watched at home.

Next: Watch the Nobody Trailer

Nobody opens in U.S. theaters on March 26, 2021. The film is 92 minutes long and is rated R for strong violence and bloody images, language throughout and brief drug use.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comments!

Key Release Dates

Review: In ‘Nobody,’ Bob Odenkirk transforms into an action star. It suits him

Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell in "Nobody," directed by Ilya Naishuller.

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The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic . Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials .

“Nobody,” the brutish, comedic action-thriller in theaters this weekend, opens with an image unlike any other brandished by “Better Call Saul” star Bob Odenkirk: Sitting in an interrogation room, blood splattered across his denim jacket, gore embellishing his long, bruised face, disheveled, he lights a cigarette. From his jacket he reveals a can of tuna, a can opener and a gray kitten. To which his interrogators ask — “Who the f— are you?”

Established star images are meant to be leveraged. Here, the typically mild-mannered character actor and comedian flexes his everyman persona to portray a somber action hero weary of hiding his true identity.

That depth is the tinge of sophistication the well experienced Odenkirk brings to the Neanderthal shoot’em-up antics of “Nobody,” a violently high-testosterone B-movie that’s more a spoof than a satire of the vengeful-father subgenre. A natural vehicle for director Ilya Naishuller — following his 2016 Russian GoPro-shot sci-fi action flick “Hardcore Henry” — “Nobody” gathers from the familiar blood-soaked stream of “John Wick,” “Death Wish” and the “Taken” franchise to fashion a savage ode featuring the same mettle of its inspirations but with far greater humor attached to the well-worn beats.

Before the opening’s evocative tableau, a listless Hutch lives with his family of four in a gray suburban enclave. Here, the monotony of his everyday — the ding of his metro pass, a mouse click on a spreadsheet, his feet hitting the gravel for a daily run — serves as an unrelenting soundtrack for his anonymous routine as the dull head of a dreary nuclear family.

See, Hutch Mansell used to be someone. Someone special, someone feared. Now he exclusively wears the same beige khakis and blue-and-white-striped polo to his mundane auditing gig at his father-in-law’s nondescript manufacturing plant. It’s telling that we never discover what exactly this bland factory produces — and instead only see the accounting numbers that flash on Hutch’s computer screen. Because while Hutch might be breathing, the father of two isn’t living.

RZA, from left, Bob Odenkirk and Christopher Lloyd team up in "Nobody."

His fortunes change, so to speak, on the night two masked intruders break into his cozy home. They want his money, his watch and his wedding ring. The type of panic most subdued suburbanites would feel evades the unassuming dad. Even after his son (Gage Munroe) jumps a would-be-robber, wrestling him to the ground while Hutch wields a golf club, Hutch fails to act and allows the inept thieves to flee.

The incident leaves his beleaguered son disappointed in his gutless father and Hutch ashamed of himself — a pitiless shame deepened by ridicule from judgmental cops, his leather-jacket toting, ‘72 Challenger-owning neighbor, and gun-flaunting brother-in-law (Billy MacLellan). Hutch dutifully wears the albatross until his young daughter (Paisley Cadorath) cries for the lost kitty-cat bracelet taken by the intruders. As with John Wick and his dog, the trinket unleashes the geyser of simmering rage hidden within.

This family man isn’t your everyday auditor. Rather, the job title serves as a euphemism for Hutch’s very particular set of skills, skills acquired after a long career. Beneath his demure veneer exists a killing machine so classified by the government that a blackmailed Pentagon office worker must traverse to the basement of the intelligence center for information, only to discover a redacted file code-named, simply, “Nobody.”

The dormant assassin shakes his suffocating doldrums to track down the assailants who snatched his daughter’s bracelet. Even after he finds the perpetrators, his vengeful journey, for which he rides the bus into New York City’s seedy underbelly, isn’t enough to satiate his long quelled urges. A walking study of a midlife crisis gone awry, Hutch prays for danger, hoping to send a would-be punk to the hospital. Opportunity literally comes knocking when a load of drunk Euro-bros parade onto the bus.

Although Hutch ostensibly instigates the melee to protect a young woman passenger, “Nobody” isn’t concerned with “Death Wish”-style vigilante justice. Rather, Naishuller grasps the situation as an entry point to greater carnage.

The editing by William Yeh and Evan Schiff for the ensuing five-on-one brawl faintly captures the fluidity of Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir’s work on “John Wick.” While the choreographed bludgeoning — Hutch strangles one guy with a stop requested cord, gets thrown through a bus window, beats another unlucky oncomer with a bus handle, and performs a tracheotomy on a downed victim with a pocketknife and a straw — is a symphony of slapstick violence composed in brilliant clarity. A primal Hutch, beaming a sly smile of satisfaction, revels in the onslaught.

Bob Odenkirk, with a blood-spattered face, reveals his very special set of action skills in "Nobody."

The fracas reveals “Nobody” in its true form: a bleak action-comedy whose biggest laughs stem from a hunger for gratuitous brutality.

Beyond the pain inflicted by Hutch, Odenkirk’s action-star vehicle lacks any deeper emotion, but Naishuller relishes the opportunity to abandon logical storytelling in lieu of bust ‘em up prowess — and to introduce other cartoonish characters.

At one point, Christopher Lloyd, playing Hutch’s gloomy father, hoists a 12-gauge shotgun; a mysterious, horn-playing compatriot (RZA) communicates with Hutch through the radio; and a Russian mob leader and club owner, Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksei Serebryakov), loves singing and dancing on his Euro-club stage but can kill a man with a smashed martini glass. This last guy hires Pavel (Araya Mengesha), a brooding Black Russian assassin, to hunt Hutch after Yulian’s son dies in the aforementioned bus scuffle.

These aging male characters desperately try to imagine a life outside the underworld, but it’s the sole place they feel whole. That void has gnawed at Hutch, subtracting the passion from his marriage with Becca (a criminally underutilized Connie Nielsen) and making him the butt of his neighbor‘s and brother-in-law’s jokes. “Deep down I always knew it was a facade,” Hutch says of his sleepy suburban life.

And once he literally sends the women and children away, “Nobody” becomes a domain for those egos to run wild again. The film’s hyper-masculine, hard-stomping soul and metal soundtrack takes hold, culminating in a bullet-riddled final showdown at Hutch’s factory.

In “Nobody,” Bob Odenpunches, Odenkicks and Odenshoots for a pulpy dark comedy waiting to thrill junkie B-movie lovers.

'Nobody'

Rating: R, for strong violence and bloody images, language throughout and brief drug use Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes Playing: Opens March 26 in general release; available on VOD April 16

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‘nobody’: film review.

Bob Odenkirk turns action hero in Ilya Naishuller's dad-vs-mobsters saga.

By John DeFore

John DeFore

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Nobody Bob Odenkirk

Surprise player Bob Odenkirk enters the middle-aged action hero game in Nobody , Ilya Naishuller’s John Wick-y take on the protect-my-family picture. Taking itself much less seriously than the Taken series and its predecessors, it’s a wish-fulfillment romp just as ludicrous as any of them but more fun than most. Just self-aware enough to let a discerning action fan forgive its extremes (including some RED -like geezers-with-guns mayhem near the end), the worst thing you can say about it is this: It’s satisfying enough that it could spawn sequels, possibly distracting its star from the plum dramatic roles he deserves after his brilliant work on Better Call Saul .

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Odenkirk’s Hutch Mansell enters the film in an interrogation room, covered in abrasions and blood, carrying a few things most people wouldn’t be able to sneak into a police station. A detective asks who he is, and he says “nobody.”

Release date: Mar 26, 2021

The film verifies this with flashbacks that churn through Hutch’s daily life, each morning’s ritual of suburban failure leading to a desk where he stares at a spreadsheet. Hutch is a nobody, all right, and his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) doesn’t even seem to see him any more, except when he fails to get the trash can to the curb on time.

Then burglars break into the Mansell home one night, not realizing they’ll only get a few bucks for their effort. Hutch has an opportunity to save the day with violence, but opts for peace, emasculating himself in the eyes of his son and wife.

In a later conversation with a friend ( RZA ) who may be imaginary, Hutch raises questions as he explains why he didn’t knock an intruder’s block off with his raised golf club: How would this schlub know there were no bullets in her gun? What is he, extensively trained by the most elite, secret forces of the government?!

Turns out, yeah. And what pulls him out of retirement is the kind of touch that makes you think, “Wait, was this movie written by the guy who introduced us to John Wick’s poor dog?” Right again: Hutch is ready to let those burglars go on with their lives until he realizes that, in their haste, they took his daughter’s kitty-cat bracelet. Watch out, bad guys.

Nobody only hints at Hutch’s past as its story gets going. In a tattoo shop full of toughs who’re about to tear him up, one glimpses a tattoo of playing cards on his wrist, mutters “thank you for your service,” and locks himself in a safe room, leaving his pals to deal with the stranger. But its action tells us plenty about who he’s become: His family life makes him prone to acts of mercy; but he also prays his opponents won’t take him up on it. And in odds-against-him situations, like a standoff with five mean 20somethings on a public bus, he’ll happily make the odds even worse just to prove to himself that fatherhood hasn’t made him flabby.

This isn’t a parody, but it offers sly humor on many levels. There are a couple of well-timed visual gags, which I won’t spoil; plenty of ironically selected pop classics on the soundtrack; and a colorful Russian mobster named Yulian — “a connected, funded sociopath” played by Alexey Serebryakov — who works the crowd when not directing the many killers who descend on Hutch in the second half.

And of course there’s the casting of Odenkirk, who before Better Call Saul was known mostly for comedy, and who, even when mustering emotional fierceness, is not physically imposing. Once or twice, fans of his work with David Cross might find themselves going on a mental tangent: When Hutch is sending his family off to safety, for instance, promising Becca he’ll explain everything later, you can almost see the fun Mr. Show would have with these tropes.

None of which is to say that Odenkirk doesn’t sell the mayhem Hutch ditches out. He does that surprisingly well. And Naishuller stages the action effectively (that bus sequence stands out), delivering visceral thrills even for those of us who are keeping our distance, reminding ourselves how absurd, even politically problematic, movies like this are. Fortunately, Nobody makes it easy to tell that part of the brain to shut up a while and have some fun.

Production companies: 87North, Eighty Two Films, Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment Distributor: Universal Pictures Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, RZA, Alexey Serebryakov, Christopher Lloyd Director: Ilya Naishuller Screenwriter: Derek Kolstad Producers: Kelly McCormick, David Leitch, Braden Aftergood, Bob Odenkirk, Marc Provissiero Executive producers: Derek Kolstad, Marc S. Fischer, Tobey Maguire Director of photography: Pawel Pogorzelski Production designer: Roger Fires Costume designer: Patricia J. Henderson Editors: William Yeh, Evan Schiff Composer: David Buckley Casting directors: Mary Vernieu, Lindsay Graham

R, 91 minutes

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Nobody is the compelling, morally repugnant answer to John Wick

This is much darker than a standard revenge fantasy

Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) in handcuffs in Nobody

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There is an entire popular subgenre of films about men who are asleep, and miserable, before they “wake up” and find their metaphorical balls through some major change in their life. Maybe they find out their spouse is cheating on them and their marriage is over, or maybe a child was kidnapped and the police won’t help. What’s important is that the man returns to self-confidence, usually gaining the love of a beautiful woman and the adoration of a side-character who previously bullied them.

There is another popular subgenre of film about fucking with the wrong person, and the consequences of doing so. Ilya Naishuller’s 2021 violence-fantasy Nobody belongs in both buckets, and treats them with same level of reverence. It’s an incredibly skillfully made film. Naishuller excels at delivering action setpieces, and at giving his actors room to react non-verbally, with only time and their darting eyes and body language telling us what they’re feeling, or whether they’re trying to escape or getting ready to act. It’s also probably one of the most morally repugnant films I’ve ever seen.

Nobody ’s protagonist isn’t running from someone who’s coming after him. He spends the film fighting and killing people because of a longing to feel skin split open against his knuckles. He does not care whether chasing that experience ends with his own death, or whether his actions put his family into immediate danger.

His actions are for his own benefit, and no one else’s; the violence his decisions bring to those he cares about throughout the film are an after-thought. This is a man whose primary concern is himself, and his needs. This is not a man who cares about others in any real, deep way.

Nobody chronicles a fight he wants, and goes looking for, because he’s realized he only feels alive when he’s hurting other people. If the movie has one message, it’s that his journey into mayhem and murder is going to be just so much fun — for him, and for the audience. Watching Nobody is an absolute joy — there is little more gratifying than seeing someone on the screen be the best at what they do — but that joy is mitigated by the fact that he’s doing what he does best for selfish reasons.

You have to be who you are

Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk, delivering a sincere, committed performance) is dead inside. His wife Becca (Connie Nielsen) tolerates him, at best. His son Blake (Gage Munroe) doesn’t respect him. His young daughter Abby (Paisley Cadorath) thinks he’s just the greatest, and somehow this fact seems to hurt him worst of all. Hutch is sleepwalking through modern domestic life, and he is miserable.

Until two robbers break into his house and steal a tiny bit of cash and his watch. He has the chance to fight back, but he backs down. The police officer who takes his statement clearly believes two things at once: Hutch made the “right” and “safe” choice, but he’s also barely a man. A real man would have fought back. Then Abby says she believes the robbers also took her kitty-cat bracelet. And suddenly, Hutch wakes up.

As with most movies of this type, Hutch secretly had Batman-level talents and connections for investigation and violence all along. It turns out he was once a government “auditor,” a euphemism for a top-secret executioner who showed up when the government didn’t want anyone left alive to complain about a problem. Hutch was the sort of fictional black-ops agent with a completely redacted file. And his job gave him skills at observation that most suburban dads wouldn’t have, skills that told him he didn’t need to resist the robbery: The thieves’ gun was unloaded, and hadn’t been fired in a while.

But after years of suppressing his violent side, Hutch wants to hit, and be hit. He wants broken hands and dead bodies. He might have desired a quiet life at one time, but suburbia is eating away at him like a cancer. The robbers didn’t give him a reason, they gave him an excuse. Tracking them down proves unsatisfying — their poverty and the sick baby they’re supporting mean they aren’t “clean” targets for his rage. And that infuriates him. In his mind, their helplessness doesn’t give him another chance to be a man of peace: It just unfairly robs him of the opportunity to take part in justified violence.

Hutch finally finds catharsis when a group of young Russian men tries to get onto the bus he’s riding home: When he sees they’re drunk, violent, and surrounded by scared potential victims, he prays that they get on, and do what he knows they’re going to do.

What transpires is an epic beatdown with knives, improvised blunt objects, and some of the most painful-looking combat I’ve seen in modern cinema. Hutch dishes out only slightly more pain than he takes, and in one amazing scene, after being thrown out of the bus through a window, he picks himself up from the pile of broken glass, and slowly, painfully, walks back into the bus to keep the fight going. It’s this single-minded approach to fighting, the preternatural ability to absorb damage that makes him such a terrifying opponent. He’s the Terminator, dressed up like your racist uncle.

The bus fight is the literal answer to Hutch’s pleas to the universe: “Deliver me people I can kill, who will hurt me, and I will once again live the life of a chosen man. I will stop pretending to be a man of peace.” When he finds out the young men were connected to the Russian mob, he treats it less like an unintended consequence, and more like a bonus round. The assassins that come to avenge his first set of victims is everything Hutch wanted.

I want to watch the whole world burn

The John Wick films are basically the half-pipe of the action-stunt world, next to series like the Mission: Impossible movies. The story exists to give the creative team freedom to set up incredible action scenes, which are rarely complicated by plot developments or narrative considerations. Everything is an excuse for violence.

In John Wick , the title character (played by Keanu Reeves) goes on a rampage because the bad guys kill his dog, the last gift he has left behind from his dead wife. Everything John does from that point on, everything , is justified by the fact that he’s fighting smug puppy-killers. Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who also wrote Nobody, bakes the moral reckoning right into the premise.

“The difference is Bob’s character doesn’t need to go back, he wants to,” Naishuller told Inverse. “He’s addicted to violence, to an exciting life. Nobody is a different beast. I know Bob is a different actor from Keanu. Nobody is a deeper film. There’s more happening below the surface.”

It’s no surprise when Hutch learns the robbers didn’t take Abby’s kitty-cat bracelet after all. That doesn’t change a thing. A simpler movie would have used the bracelet as a McGuffin, something that means nothing in the greater world, but gives Hutch a reason to fight for his family. The fact that was just misplaced is a nihilistic joke. Hutch continues to kill because he likes it, and his gradual realization that he’s only at his best when destroying human flesh gives the film a manic energy as the violence keeps escalating, and grows even more cartoonish.

“As the film goes on and Hutch becomes happier, we go to this super-colorful comic book style, where at the end of the movie, the action is supposed to be ridiculous,” Naishuller told Indiewire . “It’s absolutely excessive. There’s no need to kill 50 people. But there is, because that’s what we paid money for. We’re supposed to have a good time. And because finally, Bob’s character is having a good time, I felt we’re allowed to have the dessert of this just ridiculous violence.”

Nobody and John Wick do have a lot in common, given that both are stories about quiet men finding a reason to return to their violent pasts. But Nobody is actually much closer to John Dahl’s 1998 gambling drama Rounders than to any other contemporary film. Rounders tells the story of a young man born to play cards, to read people and take their money. He tries to hide his true nature by going to school to learn law — a profession that also benefits from superior risk management and the ability to read opponents — but he only finds himself again when he leaves his “real life” to chase the next game. Whatever life he chooses in which he isn’t playing cards would be a lie.

Nobody tells the same story, but with death, pain, murder, and fun . This is no moral cover for what Hutch does in this film, outside of the fact that he decides to kill other criminals. His primary target even wants to abandon his criminal career, but Hutch doesn’t want anyone to escape. He wants everyone but his own family locked in that figurative bus, unable to escape his fury. He hurts people because he wants to, and he doesn’t feel like he’s a man unless he’s doing so. If he dies in the process, he knows he’ll die happy, doing what he loved.

Cinema is choked with films about middle-aged men who don’t know how to shake themselves out of the torpor of day-to-day life. Nobody puts a dark spin on that concept by stating that sometimes the best way to find yourself is to destroy others. It’s soaked in the same frustrated male energy as Fight Club : Hutch used to be something close to a superhero for hire, an agent of death. Now he’s being bullied by his brother-in-law. He wants his power back, and he sees killing as a way to get it.

Which is always the lie hiding in the heart of these action movies about middle-aged men finding their souls again. They aren’t dead inside because they lack some external means of imposing their will on others, they’re dead inside because they’re completely checked out of their lives. The reality is that they’re searching, sometimes relentlessly, for an external answer to an internal problem. Hutch’s family doesn’t respect him because there’s nothing there to respect. He’s disappeared into a hole he created for himself, and he’s mad as hell about it.

I’ve heard folks describe Nobody as a parable of repressed male rage, but in what universe is male rage repressed? Male rage permeates our reality, from pop culture to politics. There might not be another emotion so often expressed, or imposed on others. Some people may relate to the desire to hurt others to once again feel masculine. But far more people have stories about being victims of that same male rage. And their rights aren’t trumped by someone else’s longing to feel like a man .

The reality is, Hutch stopped showing up for his own life, and everyone noticed. Who can love, or even respect, a man who fell asleep years ago and doesn’t seem to mind? And why is it fun to see him take out that choice on other people?

Nobody is almost a horror film, told primarily through the claustrophobic point of view of its sociopathic lead character. I’m not sure anyone but Odenkirk could have pulled off this thematic bait-and-switch so well, but the end result is a film that lays bare the calculus of movie violence, and gets uncomfortably close to a question America does not seem to want to answer: What if one regular guy’s happiness isn’t worth a pile of bodies?

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Revenge actioner is extremely violent; guns, drugs, cursing.

Nobody Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Not a message movie, but there's an underlying not

Hutch protects his family and prioritizes their sa

Tons of guns. Graphic violence with shootings, bom

Glimpse of BDSM photographs, including a woman in

Strong language includes "ass," "goddamn," "s--t,"

A classic sports car gets a lot of worshipful scre

Villain snorts cocaine. Drinking throughout. Smoki

Parents need to know that Nobody is an action crime thriller about Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk), a suburban husband/father who's pushed to the brink after a home invasion. Looking for an outlet for his rage, Hutch ends up taking down a group of young men who are out for a night of partying, putting them all…

Positive Messages

Not a message movie, but there's an underlying notion that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

Positive Role Models

Hutch protects his family and prioritizes their safety, and he demonstrates self-defense skills, but he also viciously attacks people. No notable diverse representations.

Violence & Scariness

Tons of guns. Graphic violence with shootings, bombings, stabbings, and physical fighting that uses any nearby object as a weapon. Gory, bloody wounds, including faces being blown off.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Glimpse of BDSM photographs, including a woman in an outfit that reveals her rear. Reference to lack of sex in a marriage.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Strong language includes "ass," "goddamn," "s--t," "hell," "goddamn," and heavy use of "f--k." Exclamatory use of "Jesus" and "God."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

A classic sports car gets a lot of worshipful screen time.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Villain snorts cocaine. Drinking throughout. Smoking that's presented with an element of "cool."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Nobody is an action crime thriller about Hutch Mansell ( Bob Odenkirk ), a suburban husband/father who's pushed to the brink after a home invasion. Looking for an outlet for his rage, Hutch ends up taking down a group of young men who are out for a night of partying, putting them all in the hospital and near death. His targets aren't portrayed as great guys -- they drive under the influence, and they make an inappropriate comment to a young woman who's sitting alone on a bus -- but their behavior doesn't warrant Hutch's vicious attack. Violence is graphic and extreme, escalating as the film progresses, with deaths getting more over-the-top and gory. Think shootings, stabbings, punches, bombings, and more. And so many guns: Nearly every male character is packing a weapon or blowing someone away, with pieces ranging from a .38 special to an Uzi. (Toxic masculinity, anyone?) The villain snorts cocaine, and heroic characters drink. Language is strong, with "f--k" as the word of choice. There's a quick glimpse of BDSM photos. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

  • Parents say (9)
  • Kids say (27)

Based on 9 parent reviews

Graphic, detailed depictions of extreme violence

What's the story.

In NOBODY, Hutch Mansell ( Bob Odenkirk ); his wife, Becca ( Connie Nielsen ); and their kids, Blake ( Gage Munroe ) and Sammy ( Paisley Cadorath ), have a peaceful suburban life. But after a home robbery, Hutch has a violent awakening and goes on a rampage to protect himself and his family from a dangerous Russian gangster.

Is It Any Good?

Odenkirk's winky "Dadsploitation" film feels destined for cult status. It's about a man who feels emasculated by the mundanity of suburban married life. After his home is invaded and his teen son beaten in the mayhem, he reclaims the throne that his testerone seems to demand with force and might -- or at least, that's how some sympathetic viewers may see it. But while the situation is played out seriously, there's an underlying dark comedic element that's in on the joke; it's almost but not quite parody. It's not funny , per se, but some odd, quirky moments will manifest as quotable lines -- the kind that show up on T-shirts.

Part of Nobody 's weird wackiness is the increasing creativity of the violence. What starts as mesmerizing kick-butt takedowns morphs into cartoon violence on par with Wile E. Coyote cartoons. It seems meant to make viewers guffaw while still being bloody disgusting. The whole endeavor is evidence that toxic masculinity is alive and well, even if it now sometimes comes with a wink and a smile. Part of it is the unabashed embrace of two macho clichés: a classic sports car and a cache of guns (which, but of course, end up not being as effective as two fists). The film is really kind of ridiculous, and it knows it. That's what makes it fun.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Nobody . Does its over-the-top nature lessen its impact? Or does the sheer volume make it impossible to ignore? How does the impact compare to that of movies with more realistic violence?

How does this compare to other "dad vigilante" films you've seen? Some examples are Taken , Die Hard , and Death Wish .

Discuss Hutch's attack on the men on the bus. Do you think they deserved what he did to them? How does the story work to make viewers feel OK with the fact that Hutch hurt them so severely? Did he have other options?

What is "toxic masculinity"? Do you think it's on display in Nobody ? Why is it important for male characters to show emotion on-screen and not rely solely on aggression to solve problems?

What elements are intended to show that this film has a satirical edge?

Movie Details

  • In theaters : March 26, 2021
  • On DVD or streaming : June 22, 2021
  • Cast : Bob Odenkirk , Connie Nielsen , Christopher Lloyd
  • Director : Ilya Naishuller
  • Inclusion Information : Female actors
  • Studio : Universal Pictures
  • Genre : Action/Adventure
  • Run time : 92 minutes
  • MPAA rating : R
  • MPAA explanation : strong violence and bloody images, language throughout and brief drug use
  • Last updated : February 11, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Bob Odenkirk in Nobody. In a tight 91 minutes, without any bloat, Nobody gives us exactly what we want.

Nobody review – Bob Odenkirk betters John Wick in fun action caper

The Better Call Saul star gets a furiously entertaining star vehicle playing a suburban father who finds himself up against the Russian mob

F or any vaguely fit actor over the age of 50, being given your own Taken was briefly seen as an enviable career boost, a chance to relive former glories, a slickly choreographed leap from an early Hollywood grave back to the sandlot. Ever since Liam Neeson swapped emoting for punching back in 2008, Kevin Costner, Sean Penn, John Travolta, Pierce Brosnan and Guy Pearce all tried to do the same but audiences wisely stayed away from their sub-par shoot-em-ups and execs were forced to realise that, duh, it’s the star rather than the sub-genre that people are magnetically drawn to. Because Neeson’s shtick was continuing to bring in solid crowds while his peers were flailing and in 2014, Keanu Reeves found a similar sweet spot with John Wick, kicking off a hugely profitable new series with a Taken-adjacent combination of simple action plot and much-loved actor.

With a burning desire for some of that Wick cash (the three films in total have made over $550m worldwide with a spin-off and TV series also planned), Universal has teamed up with the film’s writer Derek Kolstad to crack open what’s clearly hoped to be a new low-budget, high-profit action universe. This time the choice of lead is based less on conventional desirability and more on unconventional durability with Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk as an unassuming suburban dad hiding a dark past in Nobody, a furiously entertaining thriller that, for me, worked far more effectively than any of Keanu’s outings, a bit more character thrown in to cushion the many broken bones.

The unusual career of Odenkirk, who in his 50s has experienced an unlikely transformation from “oh that guy” character actor to Emmy-nominated lead of a hit show, makes him a compelling action hero, confident enough to command yet with a skillset that’s more extensive and more versatile than just pure physicality. He plays the improbably named Hutch Mansell, a milquetoast everyman whose daily routine has grown as tired as his chilly marriage. When his house is set upon by a couple of low-rent thieves, he’s set on a mission to right a wrong, revealing an adeptness for violence that’s been kept far away from his family.

It’s a film cooked up from some overly familiar ingredients (as well as the blood and bullets, there’s challenged masculinity, the Russian mob, a cute pet, some noirish voiceover etc) yet Kolstad, along with Hardcore Henry director Ilya Naishuller on vibrant form, finds a way to make it all feel oddly vital. There’s a simple, shaggy charm to watching Hutch rediscover his particular set of skills, kicked off by a fantastically well-designed bus sequence that sees him scrappily take on a group of obnoxious younger men. He’s an imperfect yet resilient fighter, believably hampered by age, making him a character far more thrilling to watch than say, any one of Neeson’s no-stakes superheroes.

The escalation that follows which dominoes one good deed into one savage fight into something far greater helps Nobody avoid the storytelling-by-numbers trap that so many revenge films often fall into, mimicking a video game with the hero going from one end-of-level boss to the next. The fight scenes are also awfully effective, a jolt of brutal violence captured with a specificity that allows us to keep up with every punch and kick, a base-level competency that so many action films fail to master. Perhaps the film’s greatest ace is its relative lack of smugness, Kolstad’s script briskly racing ahead without wasting time to stand back and remark on how smart and ironic it all is, quips kept to a minimum, a lesson other action screenwriters could do with learning.

Odenkirk is a surprisingly physically adept anchor and while sure, the trope of a man only really being a man when he embraces his violent side is … not great, he tries his best to work around the regressive nature of the genre, turning Hutch into a man somewhat earnestly trying to figure out the right balance of alpha and beta. There’s little to do for Connie Nielsen as his confused wife but Christopher Lloyd gets to have some fun as his gun-toting father and along with RZA as his equally armed brother, there’s an intriguing little family dynamic that will probably be explored in the inevitable sequel (Nobodies, perhaps?).

It’s all very been here, seen that yet there’s something infinitely pleasing about a film doing very little but doing it very well, knowing just how high to aim without aiming any higher, aware of exactly what it can and can’t do. In a tight 91 minutes, without any bloat, Nobody gives us exactly what we want.

Nobody is out in US cinemas on 26 March with a UK release in June

  • Action and adventure films
  • Comedy films
  • Christopher Lloyd
  • Bob Odenkirk

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‘Nobody’ Review: A Wolf in Wimp’s Clothing

Bob Odenkirk plays a family man with a secret past in this slick, shallow thriller.

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By Jeannette Catsoulis

As slick as a blood spill and as single-minded as a meat grinder, “Nobody” hustles us along with a swiftness that blurs the foolishness of its plot and the depravity of its message. A series of cartoonishly rapid cuts introduces Hutch ( Bob Odenkirk ), a mild-mannered suburban schmuck whose identical days flip past in a haze of chores and a vague desk job. His sighing wife (Connie Nielsen) and teenage son (Gage Munroe) regard him with something close to pity — especially when he balks at attacking two luckless home invaders. His son is fearless; Hutch is frozen.

A journey from emasculation to invigoration, “Nobody” harks back to the vigilante dramas of the 1970s and early 80s. Unlike the would-be heroes of those movies, though, Hutch has no real excuse for the savage spree he instigates and perpetuates. (His family is unharmed; what’s wounded is his ego.) Moreover, Hutch is not who he seems, his secret past seemingly known only to his wily father (Christopher Lloyd) and adoptive brother (RZA). So when he boards a bus, splashing its interior in the blood, teeth and tissue of a passel of Russian gangsters, his lethal skills are as unsurprising as his ultimate satiety. He might emerge bruised and battered, but — after seeing him calmly empty the bullets from his gun before the brawl — we know that’s how he likes it: He wants to feel the damage he’s doing.

Flashy and cocksure, “Nobody,” written by Derek Kolstad (the narrative engine of the “John Wick” franchise ), sprints from one dust up to the next with winking efficiency. However disreputable its hoary thesis — that real masculinity resides in the fists — its director, Ilya Naishuller , knows how to make a film move. And this one races by: The stunts are ultrasmooth, the dialogue glibly economical and Pawel Pogorzelski’s camera is agile and ruthlessly focused. As the bodies mount and Hutch becomes the target of a karaoke-singing Russian mobster (a charismatic Alexey Serebryakov), the movie feebly tries to pardon Hutch’s implacable brutality.

“I’m a good man, a family man,” he informs an adversary. But he’s a counterfeit regular guy in a movie that’s openly contemptuous of such men, a sleeping assassin who’s finally free to scratch a long-suppressed itch. (Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme singing “I’ve Gotta Be Me” during his transition is not exactly subtle.) Now, at last, Hutch is alive; more important, now he’s a man.

Nobody Rated R for guns, knives, explosives and terrible karaoke. Running time: 1 hour 32 minutes. In theaters. Please consult the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before watching movies inside theaters.

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  1. Nobody (2021) Review

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COMMENTS

  1. Official Discussion

    A bystander who intervenes to help a woman being harassed by a group of men becomes the target of a vengeful drug lord. Director: Ilya Naishuller. Writers: Derek Kolstad. Cast: Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansell. Aleksey Serebryakov as Yulian Kuznetsov. Connie Nielsen as Becca Mansell.

  2. What are your thoughts on Nobody? : r/movies

    In my opinion It was a solid 7.5/10 movie in a time where a new 7.5/10 movie getting released is hard to come by. If a sequel happens, would like to see the current Codename Nobody thats sorting out the books, draws in old Nobody and fam. New Nobody played by Sam fuckin Rockwell. I enjoyed it.

  3. Nobody

    When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe, The Shack), is ...

  4. Nobody movie review & film summary (2021)

    Nobody. Bob Odenkirk takes an unexpected turn in Ilya Naishuller 's "Nobody," a clever action flick that repositions the star of "Better Call Saul" as someone closer to Liam Neeson 's action heroes. While imagining one of the brilliant minds behind "Mr. Show" as an action hero may seem like a stretch, it turns out to be a stroke ...

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    Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 18, 2023. Nobody is a bone-crunching, knuckle-busting, lip-splitting action film that has every intention of dragging you across concrete with the taste of ...

  6. 'Nobody' Review: Bob Odenkirk Gets His Death Wish On

    Camera: Pawel Pogorzelski. Editors: William, Yeh, Evan Schiff. Music: David Buckley. With: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Alexey Serebryakov, Christopher Lloyd, RZA, Michael Ironside, Colin Salmon ...

  7. Nobody Movie Review

    61. Cinema. Nobody Movie (2021) From the creator of the John Wick films, and the director of Hardcore Henry, Nobody is a darkly witty action thriller that gives Bob " Better Call Saul " Odenkirk a whole new string for his bow. Derek Kolstad - with three John Wicks under his belt, another in the chamber, and The Continental TV series on the way ...

  8. Nobody First Reviews: A Bloody, Funny, Stylish Shot of Adrenaline

    From the creator of the John Wick franchise comes Ilya Naishuller' s Nobody, a similar action movie about a retired family man with a particular set of skills who goes up against the Russian mob. This one gives us comedic actor and Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk as the unlikely lead, and according to most of the early reviews of the movie ...

  9. Movie Review: Nobody, Starring Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen

    In Nobody, Bob Odenkirk gives being a John Wick-style action hero a go as a middle-aged suburbanite named Hutch Mansell who's a former government killer, and who has to show off his skills after ...

  10. Nobody (2021) Movie Review

    By Chris Agar. Published Mar 22, 2021. Nobody delivers plenty of hard-hitting action audiences expect, but the story lacks the emotional impact for the film to truly connect with viewers. For years, audiences have known Bob Odenkirk as lawyer Saul Goodman in the Breaking Bad universe. In Nobody, the actor tries his hand at being an action star.

  11. 'Nobody' review: Bob Odenkirk becomes an action star

    "Nobody," the brutish, comedic action-thriller in theaters this weekend, opens with an image unlike any other brandished by "Better Call Saul" star Bob Odenkirk: Sitting in an ...

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    A detective asks who he is, and he says "nobody.". The Bottom Line Enjoyably absurd violence goes down easier with wry self-awareness. Release date: Mar 26, 2021. The film verifies this with ...

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    Everything is an excuse for violence. In John Wick, the title character (played by Keanu Reeves) goes on a rampage because the bad guys kill his dog, the last gift he has left behind from his dead ...

  14. Nobody Movie Review

    July 1, 2023. age 18+. There is way too much violence. Also too much detail of violence are shown. Do not just expect fights. It is fights with a lot of gore and everything unrealistic violent. The main characters act as if it is ok to be like that, glorifying extreme and gruesome violence. Show more. Rate movie.

  15. Nobody review

    B ob Odenkirk, best known for playing a gutter lawyer in Better Call Saul, is not the first name that springs to mind to claim the aggrieved everyman action slot recently vacated by Liam Neeson ...

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    F or any vaguely fit actor over the age of 50, being given your own Taken was briefly seen as an enviable career boost, a chance to relive former glories, a slickly choreographed leap from an ...

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    A subreddit for movie reviews and discussions. Coins. 0 coins. Premium Powerups Explore Gaming. Valheim Genshin ... Nobody (2021) Movie Review. Related Topics Movie ... Reddit . reReddit: Top posts of March 22, 2021. Reddit .

  19. 'Nobody' Review: A Wolf in Wimp's Clothing

    His sighing wife (Connie Nielsen) and teenage son (Gage Munroe) regard him with something close to pity — especially when he balks at attacking two luckless home invaders. His son is fearless ...