Normal (2026)
Directed by: Ben Wheatley
Premise: A police officer (Bob Odenkirk) becomes the sheriff in the small town of Normal, Minnesota after the mysterious death of his predecessor. A bank robbery reveals the town’s dark secret.
What Works: Normal brings together the talents of filmmaker Ben Wheatley and actor Bob Odenkirk and it showcases both of their talents. Wheatley previously made the action pictures Kill List and Free Fire and the horror comedy Sightseers. This film is a fusion of those movies. The shoot outs and fights are exciting and brutal but also possess physical comedy and dark humor. Bob Odenkirk has recently transitioned from comedy and drama to action films as seen in Nobody and its sequel. Normal uses Odenkirk more effectively than the Nobody films. Like many movie lawmen, he has a troubled past but that past informs his present choices. Odenkirk’s demeanor simultaneously suggests melancholy and decency and in Normal he plays an interim sheriff who enforces the law with compassion. Normal is set during the winter in a small Minnesota town. Although shot in Canada, the town of Normal comes across authentic. The climate and landscape figure into the story and the town is idiosyncratic but not in a way that feels demeaning of so-called flyover country. There’s a lot of texture in the details such as a restaurant decorated with firearms. Once Normal becomes an action film, it has a ruthlessness comparable to Assault on Precinct 13 and Straw Dogs. The action is staged well. The violence is sometimes silly while maintaining credibility.
What Doesn’t: Normal features narration by Bob Odenkirk’s character. The voiceover is unnecessary. Odenkirk explains things we ought to already deduce from the action. A lot of Normal is set at night and in a few scenes the lighting is too dim and the imagery is murky. The premise of Normal is very reminiscent of Hot Fuzz. Normal is not a remake or a ripoff but it is noticeably similar and pales in comparison. The biggest deficit of Normal is its characters. Where Hot Fuzz was full of distinct and kooky townspeople, the characters of Normal are not that interesting. They don’t have much color or personality. Several characters that do have potential are killed off too quickly. The end of Normal takes the story in an unexpected direction. The novelty helps distinguish this film but it also interrupts the flow and escalation of the story. The narrative stops and goes flat just as it comes to a climax.
Bottom Line: Normal owes a lot to Hot Fuzz and other action films but its mix of humanity, humor, and stylized violence gives Normal an identity of its own. It satisfies as an action film and Bob Odenkirk gives the film a soul.
Episode: #1095 (April 19, 2026)