From the writer of John Wick, Derek Kolstad, comes Nobody, a film that shares more than a little with the Wick world. Starring Bob Odenkirk as Hutch Mansel, the ‘nobody’ of the title, the story joins downtrodden worker bee Hutch as he becomes the victim of a home invasion. The break-in awakens something that has long been dormant within him, and after later stepping in to help a woman he sees being harassed by a group of men, he ends up in a bitter war with the local Russian mob boss.
John Wick was Kolsted’s first feature script, since then, other than some episode work on the series Die Hart, he has remained entirely within the John Wick realm. This is clearly evident here, Kolstad seemingly having just reworked his original Wick script into something slightly different Nobody really could have been a parallel universe’s Wick, the plot beats hugging so close that watching it just for the story almost feels redundant. There’s even a version of the Red Circle, Malina, and Colin Salmon doing his best Ian McShane impression as a knowledgeable barber. By following the blueprint so closely, Kolsted also traps everyone into constant comparisons to Keanu’s comeback feature, and though imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, Nobody certainly doesn’t surpass the original.
It is left then to director Ilya Naishuller to set Nobody apart, and he commits to the task at hand one hundred percent. Instead of the slick, glossy, and colourful palette of the Wick films, Naishuller tells his story in more muted, neutral tones. It works well at creating this drab suburbia setting in which Hutch has found himself existing. Naishuller effortlessly sets up the monotony of Hutch’s life with a nifty montage, edited together with super fast and repetitive shots that serve to hammer home how dull working a white-collar job can be. Naishuller is also no stranger to action movies. His first-person perspective beat-em-up debut, Hardcore Henry, caused quite a stir on its release, both for its unique storytelling device, and the scope of the fight sequences. Naishuller’s experience in the latter has been built upon wonderfully with Nobody gifting us some beautiful action pieces. A bloody brawl on a night bus is an early highlight, with a home siege and a booby-trapped factory-set finale coming in close second and third. As with the other visuals, these fights are more raw and gritty than the work of David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, Nobody is less gun-fu more street fight brawling.
Bob Odenkirk is marvellous as Hutch, his easy demeanor making him the perfect everyman. He’s certainly not the typical action hero, and yet that is exactly what is needed here for this story. His contribution to the fight sequences is accomplished, but it is with his words that Hutch finally fully sets himself apart from that tricky Mr. Wick. There’s a playfulness to Hutch that helps make him more human and less boogeyman. Hutch is also a character that uses his brain just as much as his brawn to get the job done, orchestrating some traps that even Kevin Mcallister would be in awe of.
Essentially suburban house-husband John Wick, Nobody makes for a very entertaining ninety minutes of action carnage but doesn’t have enough of its own meat on its bones to satisfy those craving something more.
Nobody is in UK cinemas now.
Nobody
Summary
White collar John Wick, Nobody has plenty of blistering instances of violence and carnage, but lacks those flourishes that made its peer so successful.
