Nobody

If you prefer art films and find explicit violence off-putting, steer clear of this movie. I have no idea if the filmmakers were serious or just wanted to have fun shooting a good old action movie, but I was royally entertained. I did enjoy the film throughout, I just won't give it a five because it smacked too much of Home Alone at times. (07/24/2021)

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. (09/23/2021)

If you see Nobody and Naishuller's previous Russian pogrom Hardcore Henry on the same day, you'd almost think Ilya had farted a bit. Understandably, though, that's because this young directorial hopeful mainly had to show that he could make a film beyond gimmickry, with characters that were more than just amusing caricatures. While I don't know if it was very successful, but in a genre now dominated by overstylized John Wick spectacles, Atomic Blonde, and Gareth Edwards massacres, we could probably hold that bar a little closer to the ground. But it's a fact that nobody came here for character nitpicking, so let's stop worrying about the film (a dumbed-down mid-life crisis in which Kolstat managed to sell the same script a second time, doctored it with all sorts of picked-over heists from True Lies to The Equalizer, all in the name of small-town values) and address the action scenes. While what I remember most from the film is the awesome one-shot in which the antagonist walks into a bar, still I have to admire in particular the imaginative and joyful disposal of the poor and virtually mentally incompetent bad guys. Perhaps the blood is digital and the night scenes often don't look like they're set on planet Earth, yet most of the fatalities can still be enjoyed with fulfilling relish and the fifty-seven-year-old Odenkirk is simply believable. In the context of a TV movie (as we should approach a VOD production), a nice lunch break that will be fine for talking to your mates about how record companies should make the rights to use songs they own more expensive again, because this movie à la jukebox thing is becoming quite an annoying trend. (05/16/2021)

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! (01/13/2023)

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. (04/16/2021)