Normal (2026)

​“Normal” stars Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Reena Jolly, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Peter Shinkoda, and Jess McLeod.  Released on April 17, 2026, the film has a sheriff uncovering a conspiracy within a seemingly peaceful town.

The film was directed by Ben Wheatley, who also directed films such as “Down Terrace”, “High-Rise”, “Free Fire”, and “Bulk”.  Many of us assume that everything around us seems normal to our human eyes.  But if we take a closer look, we occasionally find that not everything is what it appears to be.  What seemed to be a quaint piece of everyday living lies a dark secret that’s not meant to be discovered, and when that secret gets exposed, there’s no doubt that bullets will start flying.  This sums up the latest action film featuring Bob Odenkirk becoming a badass once more, following his success in the genre with “Nobody” and its sequel.  This time, he’s transitioning from a seemingly normal father to a newly promoted sheriff who finds himself in hot water in a sleepy Minnesota town.  At the very least, it beats sitting behind the desk all day, but does it also make it a fun time, or should audiences move to a different town?  Let’s travel to this “normal” urban area and find out.

The story follows Ulysses (Odenkirk), a man who travels to the sleepy town of Normal, Minnesota.  He arrives there to serve as an interim sheriff after the town’s previous one passed away.  One day, while stopping a bank robbery, Ulysses unexpectedly uncovers a shocking secret.  It turns out that the town is tied to the Yakuza, with various cash, gold bars, and military-grade weapons hidden in the bank, and the townspeople will stop at nothing to keep their secret hidden.  With a target on his back, Ulysses attempts to fight back against those who want him dead.

I know I mentioned there haven’t been many movies I’m most excited to see this month, outside of “Super Mario Galaxy” and “Michael”.  But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t interested in checking out some of them that captured my interest.  “Normal” is one such case, thanks to its familiar yet seemingly entertaining premise, conceived by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad.  This marks the latest collaboration between Kolstad and Bob Odenkirk, following the “Nobody” movies, which launched Odenkirk into action stardom.  Given my enjoyment of these films, I was more than willing to see if the duo could make lightning strike twice through a plot that’s anything but normal.  However, my previous experiences with Ben Wheatley’s films were the only concerns that mildly hindered my interest in it.  “Free Fire” was just all right despite its cast, and “Meg 2” was another sequel that should’ve been left in the trenches.  With “Normal”, Wheatley was given yet another opportunity to try to win me over with his direction.  To my surprise, he performed that job with ease.

“Normal” isn’t something we haven’t seen before, but its commitment to the old-school, small-scale finesse of the genre makes it a pleasant yet bonkers fight for survival.  Its first act takes a bit to get the action going, and once it starts, it doesn’t take its foot off the brake until the end.  While I admire Wheatley for his approach to action and black comedy, his vision hasn’t exactly meshed with the scripts he’s been given.  At least, that’s how I felt based on how I saw the two movies I mentioned.  Fortunately, he has found a reliable writer for “Normal” in the form of Derek Kolstad, allowing Wheatley to fire all cylinders with his blend of dark humor and action.  What I got is a fun, straightforward, and mildly absurd ride that draws on its familiarity with other action films, particularly those in which Kolstad was involved, to elevate its appeal.  It doesn’t exactly offer much else in its genre tropes, and the limitations of its scale and kills kept it from pushing any boundaries.  However, it showcases that it doesn’t need to up the antics to win me over, as long as it has enough entertainment value in its scale, pacing, and violence to suffice.  Unsurprisingly, that’s exactly what I got.

The other reason for my enjoyment was Bob Odenkirk's performance as Ulysses.  “Nobody” and its sequel have showcased that Odenkirk is more than capable of being an action star outside his comedy roles, notably Saul Goodman.  Of course, it isn’t without the comical charm that he balanced with his ability to portray seemingly “normal” characters, which made him the perfect fit for this movie.  Through his humorous banter, charm, and choreography, Odenkirk offers another diverting performance that makes his two-dimensional character more interesting than it should be.  The most notable case is Ulysses being haunted by his past actions amid his generosity and sense of justice.  Does it pull me in emotionally?  No.  Was it something we’ve seen in other action-oriented protagonists?  Yes, it was.  But Odenkirk is another actor who can pull off these similarities to a tee.  Given that Odenkirk and Kolstad worked on the concept, it’s no wonder I was pleased with the result.  Henry Winkler also delivered some good moments as the town’s mayor, even though he’s only in the first half, and Ryan Allen was surprisingly amusing as Blaine Anderson, one of the town’s deputies.

Overall, “Normal” is a simple, violent, and suitably bonkers action thriller that’s anything but normal, and it’s all the better for it.  Its similar, restrained narrative may not make this visitation as memorable as the action classics of years past.  Fortunately, it’s another film that gets the most fun out of its familiar premise, highlighting the carnage, thrills, and dark humor that were blended respectfully by Ben Wheatley’s vision.  Despite not going all out on the kills I was hoping it would achieve, it delivers enough entertainment from Bob Odenkirk’s performance and action sequences to make me want to revisit this “tranquil” town in the near future.  Usually, I would have something more to say about a movie like this, but given the simplicity of this film, I’m willing to make it an exception.  If you enjoyed the “Nobody” films because of Odenkirk, or maybe you’re just looking for another straightforward, fun, and short action film to pass the time, you might enjoy this one.

B-