Nobody

I vividly remember going to see Hardcore Henry in the cinema a few years back, a film certainly didn't get lost in the glut of action movies with its visual concept and level of violence. Ilya Naishuller’s next film Nobody rides a similar wave of violence and action, only now you see the story from a familiar perspective (the "absent" cameraman). Nobody tries to be primarily an action thriller, but it quite forgots about the story and the continuity between scenes – at least that’s how it seemed to me (Hutch goes on his brutal spree, but why?). I had mixed feelings about the casting of Christopher Lloyd, he's really vital for his age, but the script just made a mockery of his character. Adequate for one viewing, but no more! (13/01/2023)

The simplicity and directness of the 1980s, the audiovisual drive of twenty-first century action flicks and the most unlikely action hero ever. But above all, the enormous enthusiasm that literally oozes from the film. Ilya Nayshuller delivers a more classically conceived action film this time, but Nobody had me smiling with satisfaction from start to finish. Bob Odenkirk shines, whether in a loser or killer mode, and gives it his all. The story doesn't shy away from its simplicity and thanks to the short running time you don't even think about it too much, and the director isn't afraid to pepper it with enjoyable dark humour or slightly bizarre moments. And even the cheesy bad guy can be as scary as he is funny. Then there's the imaginative, perfectly paced, bloody and cleverly devised action. I was a little worried that Nobody would want to follow in the footsteps of John Wick, but director-producer David Leitch and his team ended up going in a slightly different direction and betting on action that's more bloody, painful, and ugly. In terms of inventiveness, Nobody keeps up with Wick, but it goes in a slightly different direction and it’s nice to see that it's not just a rip-off with an unexpected star, but a confident and, for all intents and purposes, well-functioning action romp. I enjoyed it immensely. (16/04/2021)

A John Wick alternative with a seemingly goofy plot and without the sometimes complicated kung fu combos. While there's no shortage of fine characters and a fast pace with a very simple script, the second half is merely a clichéd countdown of level-up situations, including the over-the-top finale. By around the halfway mark, the film was set to be an absolute smash, because the bus brawl will belong in the showcase of action films, just like the stairs scene in Atomic Blonde. This guy from Russia could be big in some time. (17/04/2021)

Nobody gets off to a nice start with its concept of an action hero hidden behind the façade of an ordinary dad. The film is fresh and dynamic in its editing, and tastefully entertaining and imaginative in the action scenes (such as the ride in the trunk of a car). Unfortunately, after the initial great entertainment, the exceedingly mechanical, simple and unimaginative settling of scores with the bad guys caused me to knock my rating down to three stars. As the protagonist took punches at the beginning and his stamina made him a hero, at the end he gets jumped by the biggest horde of armed goons in a scene staged like something out of Deadpool. Overall, I found the recent genre competitor Boss Level a half-star better. (08/06/2021)

Derek Kolstad opened his few years old screenplay for John Wick in Microsoft Word, went through it and replaced every instance of the name “John Wick'' with "Bob Odenkirk", chopped out/adjusted/adapted a few things here and there, and suddenly a new screenplay was born! I really cannot believe he did not put in some more effort! However, it is really stylishly shot, it draws you in visually, and the carnage and havoc wreaked by the trio of Bob Odenkirk, RZA, and especially the eighty-two-year-old Christopher Lloyd (!) is dynamic and just incredibly cool, however, the recycling of the screenplay itself was a real slap in the face and really undermined the entire experience. (23/09/2021)