Bob Odenkirk has been kicking a lot of ass lately as Hutch Mansell in Nobody and Nobody 2. But now he’s back and doing it, not as an elite trained killer, but as an everyman in Ben Wheatley’s awesome neo-Western, Normal, which was one of the best times I had at TIFF where it premiered. I think it’s the best Odenkirk has ever looked as an action star.
In Normal, Odenkirk plays Ulysses, a temporary sheriff in a small Midwestern town after his predecessor turns up dead. But this sleepy little town is anything but, and Ulysses soon finds himself in the shootout of his life against its residents, who all have something sinister to hide.
The film reunites Odenkirk with Normal screenwriter Derek Kolstad, also the man behind John Wick and other action favorites. Wheatley is best known for flicks such as Free Fire, High-Rise, and Meg 2: The Trench. It feels like a lifetime ago his quirkier work with films such as Down Terrace, Kill List, and Sightseers.
SYNOPSIS: For Sheriff Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk), his provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern American town of Normal was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty. But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality’s tranquil pace, a sordid secret is inadvertently exposed, and Ulysses learns that the town is anything but its namesake. Suddenly, everyone is trying to shoot the sheriff, even his own deputies, and our put-upon policeman must rely on his affable mettle and some motley crooks if he is to survive the night. (And that’s all before the Yakuza show up).
Also starring Lena Headey and Henry Winkler, Normal hits theaters on April 17th 2026 from Magnolia Pictures. You can check out my early review here.
