Nobody (2021) Review
Directed By: Ilya Naishuller
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Aleksei Serebryakov, RZA, Michael Ironside, Colin Salmon, and Christopher Lloyd
Synopsis: Hutch Mansell fails to defend himself or his family when two thieves break into his suburban home one night. The aftermath of the incident soon strikes a match to his long-simmering rage. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must now save his wife and son from a dangerous adversary — and ensure that he will never be underestimated again.
Review: Bob Odenkirk headlines in this balls-to-the-wall action movie, Nobody.
Nobody is thoroughly riveting, from start to finish, due to its expeditious pace, chucklesome humour, and clever delivery.
Hutch Mansell switches from a stay-at-home father, down on his luck, to an absolute killing machine. Odenkirk is on top form and pulls this transition off with ease, wowing us with countless adrenaline-fuelled action scenes. Speaking as someone who is new to Odenkirk (I’ve not indulged in Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul… yet!), I can now say I am an Odenkirk fan; his charisma and ability to bring a character to life is up there with the some of the best.
From the beginning, Hutch seems to live an unrelenting Groundhog Day of family duties, to keep up appearances. Soon he experiences a home invasion and he wantonly lets the invaders get away. His method of keeping up appearances soon crumbles, though: he steps in to protect a young woman in trouble on a bus, and before we know it, Hutch transforms into a pugnacious vigilante. He unleashes his hidden skills, and the movie throttles into the high-octane action spectacle we hoped for. Odenkirk devoted great time and effort training for the physical scenes of Nobody, too, so watching this come to life on screen is a delight. The hand-to-hand fights are choreographed to perfection and the shootouts are quick and slick, much like the action style of John Wick.
David Mansell, Hutch’s father, and Harry Mansell, Hutch’s half-brother, are played by Christopher Lloyd and American Rapper, RZA. These ass-kicking characters help Hutch in the finale when shit really hits the fan, so to speak. Quite frankly, this scene is one heck of a finale; it will have you shouting at the screen, rooting for our guys. Christopher Lloyd’s character racks up a hefty body count, too.
Overall, Nobody is a movie that nobody should miss. It’s very reminiscent of movies such as Death Wish or Rambo (i.e. a grizzly badass, unleashing fury on those who cross his path!). Odenkirk has officially secured himself with ‘badass status’ in my books. The Hitch Mansell character has a lot of depth, and Nobody definitely has the potential for a promising action franchise!
