A Review of “Nobody (2021)”

 

Nobody (2021) is directed by Ilya Naishuller, director of Hardcore Henry, and written by Derek Kolstad who also wrote the first 3 John Wick movies.  David Leitch is also the producer of this and also directed the John Wick series. Seeing who worked on this gave me an expectation of fun and exciting action sequences similar to that of John Wick. The premise is “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”. So does Nobody (2021) live up to my expectations or fail miserably?

Firstly, Bob Odenkirk gives a great performance as the main character, Hutch Mansell. Bob Odenkirk doesn’t look like an action star, no offence, so he perfectly fits the mundane and plain character of Hutch. He is perfect in really making it seem like this guy is really “nobody” special. However, when it is time for Hutch to become a super badass, Bob Odenkirk somehow manages to convince the audience that this bland and unimpressive guy is actually able to kick your ass. It feels completely natural and believable. He also does every stunt and it definitely shows. I also have to praise Christopher Lloyd as David Mansell, Hutch’s father, as he is playing a role that you wouldn’t expect from that actor.

The action scenes are as exciting as you would expect. One thing about the action sequences that sets it apart from John Wick is that he isn’t perfect and actually gets beaten up a lot. John Wick feels like a superhero and there is never really a feeling that he is actually in danger. In Nobody (2021) it honestly feels like Hutch is vulnerable and that his old age is making him weaker to his opponents to a certain extent. It gives a sense of danger and makes it feel like Hutch could potentially die which I appreciate. Additionally, the tone of this is a lot more comedic and this works well. I did get quite a fair bit of chuckle from certain scenes and it definitely gives a breather from all the murder.

Nevertheless, Nobody (2021) feels way too much of a carbon copy of John Wick. There is an action scene where the bad guys invade the main characters home, there is the unfortunate mishap of the bad guys robbing the wrong persons home, there is the main lead coming out of retirement because they did something unforgivable, there is the people being scared of his reputation moment, there is him getting help from friends from old times, there is an evil Russian group that feels beat for beat from John Wick. It just feels kind of lazy and definitely doesn’t do anything groundbreaking.

The story and characters also lack a lot of polish. I don’t end up caring about any of the characters because they don’t spend enough time developing them including the main character. They sprinkle in some flashbacks or conversation about the main character that gives a sort of understanding why he is a badass but they don’t explore any of the supporting characters. Nobody (2021) begins with him and his wife’s relationship being trouble but why? Hutch has a half brother and his dad who appears but we don’t get a complete understanding about their relationship either. Nobody (2021) needed 10 more minutes of runtime to explore this. The main Russian villain is just so generic as well that it is kind of disappointing.

Overall, I wanted a fun action movie and that’s exactly what I got. It didn’t surprise me or anything and I feel like it was quite a forgettable movie by the end. However, I had a great time with its 90-minute runtime and I still would love a sequel. Heck I would even love for it to become a part of the John Wick universe and have Hutch meet John Wick. Bob Odenkirk is the biggest reason to give this a watch thanks to his amazing performance and stunt work.