Nobody (2021) * * *

 

Directed by:  Ilya Naishuller

Starring:  Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Michael Ironside, Aleksey Serebryakov, Christopher Lloyd, RZA, Gage Munroe

Bob Odenkirk provides a steady center in the chaos of Nobody.   You wouldn't think of Odenkirk in a John Wick-like role where he thrashes bad guys with glee, but he pulls it off with utter conviction.  Nobody doesn't break new ground, but it's entertaining and tightly paced.   You would not be watching the right movie if you didn't pause to ask yourself how certain action sequences don't violate the laws of physics or common sense.   Spoiler alert:  They do, but that's par for the course.

The "Nobody" of the title is Hutch Mansell (Odenkirk), who lives a mundane life in which the days all blend together.   Hutch takes the bus to work at his father-in-law's business working as an unassuming accountant.   He misses the trash truck by about ten seconds on trash day and is gently reminded by his wife Becca (Nielsen) that he missed the truck again.   Then, the weeks roll over again.   Because we've seen the trailers, we know Hutch used to be an "auditor" for an unnamed government agency, but not the kind of who looks at the books.   If an auditor shows up at your door, it means your ass. 

One night, the sameness of daily suburban life is broken when two home invaders break in to Hutch's house, steal a few dollars, and strike Hutch's oldest son (Munroe).   Hutch gets the drop on one of them and could've smashed in her skull with a golf club, but he stops himself.   He tells police he wanted to keep the damage to a minimum.   We later find out what he means.   Hutch is willing to swallow his pride and move on until his daughter reports her bracelet missing.   This won't do, and Hutch springs into action to track down the invaders and get the bracelet back.   This stirs his lust for violence and Hutch is soon confronting Russian thugs on the bus.   He either kills or hospitalizes five men, while taking a bit of a beating himself.  

When one of the thugs dies, Russian night club owner/money launderer Yulian Kuznetsov (Serebryakov) vows revenge.   He sends his henchmen to Hutch's home, which ends badly for the baddies and for Hutch's home.   One refreshing aspect of Nobody is we are spared the obligatory scene in which Hutch's wife discovers his past and scolds him for being a liar.   It is clear Becca knows full well about Hutch's life prior to meeting him.   Maybe she even understands why he needs to return to his former life.

Part of the equation are Hutch's father David (Lloyd), a retired FBI man living in a nursing home who isn't as helpless as one would think.   Hutch's brother Harry (RZA) is in hiding, but keeps in contact through Hutch's old-fashioned stereo system.   If you think they won't get in on the fun at some point, you're attending the wrong movie.   The fight and gun sequences play like John Wick, where Hutch creatively kills many villains at once.   He rigs a building with booby traps a la John Rambo, although it is quite a stroke of luck that the thugs are standing in just the right place for the traps to work.

Regardless, Nobody stays grounded due to Odenkirk's performance.   The action is sometimes crazy, but never insanely over the top.   Unlike John Wick, Hutch doesn't seemingly kill half of the human population.   Maybe they're saving that for the sequel.