#23: Nobody

Release Date: March 26th, 2021

Format: Streaming (Plex)

Written by: Derek Kolstad

Directed by: Ilya Naishuller

1.5 Stars

I guess I can see Nobody’s appeal, even though it didn’t appeal to me. Its action is well-directed and there are some fun set pieces. Bob Odenkirk is good - hardly believable - but good.

Isn’t this all a little contrived though? It reads like a slightly embarrassing boomer fantasy.

Odenkirk plays Hutch, a seemingly quiet office worker with a wife and two kids at home, but when his family is threatened by Russian thugs, we learn that Hutch is secretly an ex-assassin. The rest of the story plays out more or less how you imagine.

All due respect to Odenkirk, but he is a man of a certain age who hardly looks imposing, which may be the point of his casting. He serves as a sort of avatar for Gen Xers and boomers who want to see themselves in the character. I’m just not convinced the character is that cool.

In the opening scenes we see that Hutch likes to sip whiskey neat while listening to his classic rock albums on vinyl. He’s a peaceful family man who loves his kids, but he also knows he’s the baddest dude on the block.

You’re telling me that’s not just a little bit embarrassing? Maybe that’s just me. Maybe I need twenty or thirty more years before I too can see how cool Bob Odenkirk is as Hutch.