“Everybody dies… some sooner than others.”
Hutch Mansell
With Saul Goodman typically on the receiving end of violence in Better Call Saul, Bob Odenkirk is an unexpected choice for an action hero, particularly as he was nearing 60 when making Nobody. Yet he is perfect as frustrated family man Hutch Mansell who finds himself in conflict with the Russian mob after protecting a stranger. In the lead-up, Nobody portrays but never fully explores the crisis of masculinity Hutch faces when perceived as weak in his son’s eyes, followed by the desire for a violent outlet to reassert himself, dangerously inviting aggression. Penned by the same writer, and with Odenkirk just two years older than Keanu Reeves, John Wick is an obvious parallel — visually Nobody is less stylised than Wick’s world of luxury hitman hotels, but their violence is similarly visceral. Hutch’s victories lie largely in his ability to keep getting back up, no matter how battered and bruised. Like Wick, Hutch is aided by colourful side characters played by veterans like Christopher Lloyd, RZA and Michael Ironside. Nobody is perfectly paced, its crescendo leading to a climax that is perhaps more rousing than such realistic violence ought to be. It is darkly enjoyable, then, and its reception has been warm enough to earn a sequel filming this year.
7/10
