Nobody (2021) – Review/Summary (with Spoilers)

Nobody makes for a fun fantasy revenge tale with the type of violence which may make you flinch a little bit.

Director(s)	Ilya Naishuller
Screenplay By	Derek Kolstad
Date Released (Theatrical)	3/25/2021
Genre(s)	Action, Comedy, Crime
Duration	1 Hour 32 Minutes
Rating	R
Noted Cast
Hutch	Bob Odenkirk
Becca	Connie Nielsen
Blake	Gage Munroe
Abby	Paisley Cadorath
Yulian	Aleksey Serebryakov
David	Christopher Lloyd
Harry	RZA
Eddie	Michael Ironside
Charlie	Billy MacLellan
Pavel	Araya Mengesha

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Film Summary

For more than 16 years, Hutch has retired from his life as an “auditor” for various three-lettered government agencies and, life has been peaceful. However, as he has gotten stuck into a routine, so has his marriage to his wife Becca become dull and he has become disconnected with his son, Blake. Which makes his daughter, Abby, still showing him affection, the silver lining of the dark cloud he lives under.

Hence why, after his home is robbed, and it is believed someone stole his daughter’s kitty cat bracelet, Hutch loses his mind. Similar to an alcoholic or drug addict who has abstained for years, Hutch binges in violence to the point he ends up getting on the radar of Russian mob leader Yulian Kuznetsov, who wants Hutch handled. Leaving you to wonder, with Hutch being out of the game for nearly two decades, can he not only defend his family but survive the onslaught he brought upon himself from taking things too far?

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

• Reason(s) for Film Rating: Smoking, drinking, loads of gun violence, as well as gore.
• Jump Scares/ Laughs/ Tear-Jerking Moments: N/A

Review

Highlights

Hutch Isn’t Made Out To Be Superhuman

While Hutch’s injuries seem not to affect his movement beyond the scene, it is made clear Hutch isn’t the best gunman or close-quarters fighter out there. Many times Hutch gets shot, thrown out windows, stabbed, and even knocked out. And considering he goes up against a major force in the Russian mob, you appreciate Hutch’s biological father, David, and adoptive brother, Harry, joining the fight since they know Hutch is in deep. Thus furthering that, as much as Hutch is well trained and prepared, he can’t do it all. Hutch needs extra hands which are at his level, if not beyond.

You Will Flinch During Fight Scenes

Will you flinch to the point of jumping in your seat? No. However, you will flinch to the point of grimacing as you see Hutch punch, kick, slam faces, and make use of his environment to make sure he wins the fight. And to keep you thoroughly entertained, this is spread out throughout the film rather than just in scenes you already saw in the trailer.

On The Fence

Investment In Hutch’s Family

In many ways, you could say there are a lot of expendable characters in Nobody. Be it Becca’s father, Eddie, or brother Charlie, who doesn’t interact with Becca not even once, or even Becca and Blake since, honestly, outside of presenting that generic nuclear family, they don’t bring much to the table really. Blake just proves Becca and Hutch had sex before, and when it comes to Becca, even when she and Hutch start to communicate more, it doesn’t make you want them to get that fairytale life back. You just see Becca as key to this sense of normalcy Hutch has conjured in his head.

And while we get, thanks to reading press materials, this all is based on Bob Odenkirk dealing with a break-in at his home, hence the core family unit being needed, as for everyone else? Specifically, Becca’s family? They could have been cut.

This isn’t to say Hutch’s family, outside of Becca and the kids, are the greatest. You appreciate them when they show up for a gunfight, and Christopher Lloyd is always a pleasure to see. However, RZA as Harry seems like an inclusion just so that this isn’t an all-white movie. For as much as they try to make Harry mysterious, with him being considered dead, it pushes less this feeling of intrigue and more like they just felt the need for a Black guy. Similar to how they gave Yulian a Black Russian henchman to mix things up a little bit.

We’re Still Doing Russian Villains?

Fully recognizing the idea here is Hutch and Yulian are supposed to be similar, in terms of oppressing their true selves, yet Yulian getting an outlet while Hutch does not, that doesn’t necessarily make Yulian beyond the usual generic Russian gangster. Which makes me wish Yulian’s peer, Pavel, was the head since, with him being touted as Ethiopian and Russian, at least we’d get a remix of a trope so dated and played out, you wonder why it isn’t seen as offensive?

Overall

Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)

Nobody ultimately fulfills its desire to be a fantasy revenge story for any person who was made to feel vulnerable and helpless. And while its supporting cast ranges from being a simple catalyst, like Abby, to just being an extra set of arms for a gun battle, like Harry, it’s a fun film to watch which never gets dull.

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