'Nobody' follows Hutch, a seemingly average man who is shown to be in somewhat of a rut. He has an ordinary job, a nice home, a loving wife and family, yet Hutch seems to be dissatisfied. One night, after a pair of intruders break into his house and Hutch is unwilling to attack the robbers, he eventually snaps and goes on a quest for revenge. Intent on finding the wrong-doers and exacting revenge, Hutch tracks down the husband and wife, who he is unable to harm, as he realises the two were committing the crime in order to provide for their ailing child. On his way home on the public transport, Hutch encounters a group of delinquents. Unable to contain himself, Hutch goes on a rampage leaving five young men incapacitated and with grievous bodily harm.
The news travels up the chain to Yulian Kuznetsov, a notorious Russian mob enforcer, whose younger brother Hutch had left severely injured. Out of a sense of obligation, Yulian sends a crew to avenge his younger brother. On attacking Hutch at home, Hutch manages to hide his family in their reenforced basement before he is taken out by one of the attackers. On regaining consciousness in the trunk of a car, Hutch blindsides the driver and remaining crew with a fire extinguisher. After escaping the attempted kidnapping, Hutch returns home, sends his family away and burns down his house in order to destroy the evidence.
It is explained that Hutch is a former 'auditor', an assassin employed by intelligence agencies to carry out contract killings on targets that were too difficult to arrest or who were untouchable by law. One day however, Hutch took mercy on a target, and after a year had passed, as he checked in on him, Hutch found that the target has started a new life and seemed happy. Following suit, Hutch left his work and started anew.
Now, by way of revenge, Hutch destroys Yulians art collection and the money he had been holding for the mob. Afterwards Hutch confronts Yulian and asks him to choose between coming after him or leaving with what he has left. Yulian pursues Hutch to the company Hutch works at, that he has recently purchased from his father-in-law and boobytrapped in anticipation of the confrontation. Calling on all the men at his disposal, Yulian shows up at the factory, while Hutch is backed up by his brother Harry and father David, an ex FBI agent. Following an elimination of the wave of gunmen, Hutch charges Yulian with a claymore, shielding behind bulletproof glass, taking him out.
In the epilogue, Hutch is shown being taken into custody only for him to be released, seemingly with no charges. After some time Hutch is shown viewing a house with his wife as he receives an ominous call regarding another job. A post credit scene then shows Harry and David heading out to an undisclosed location in a heavily armed RV.
'Nobody' is a fierce and action-packed thriller, taking the viewer on a wild ride that follows Hutch. We first meet him in a seemingly ordinary setting, watching him on repeat as he goes about his daily routine, without change and a sense a mounting frustration. After the home invasion occurs, the previously existing sense of suspicion towards Hutch's rage is expressed, as we witness him beat a group of men within an inch of their lives. Here 'Nobody' picks up and doesn't slow down much til the end of the film, delivering hard hitting action scenes one after the other, presenting a variety of fight sequences in interesting and versatile ways, rarely repeating itself, and providing for brutal and at times even hilarious combat scenes.
The movie is well structured in presenting Hutch in his ordinary setting and then shifting violently in tone to reveal to us the personality he has tried to suppress over the years as he made a life on the more ordinary side of things. After the revelation of his past occupation, it becomes clear that he is still strongly linked to that mindset, finding it hard to let go as he needs to find a way to express his pent up rage. As soon as Hutch sets out on his rampage, we are shown that he wants to exact revenge on someone, anyone. 'Nobody' then proceeds to go down a violent path, maintaining that actions have consequences, and Hutch is soon challenged by Yulian and his forces.
The film does not shy away from the brutality of mindless violence, however it may be hard to sympathise with Hutch. As he was on a war path, during which time he beat up Yulians brother, considering Hutches motivations reveal no tangible reason for his actions in the first instance, besides personal frustration, thereby making it challenging to root for him. After the attach at his house, the violence becomes much more personal and Hutch's retribution is much more understandable, yet overall deeper contemplation of the beginning of the conflict reveals that violence begets violence and may leave the viewer disappointed by a lack of motivation, or at least inciting incident, to the entire feature. Perhaps a more intricate view on how mindless violence can lead to monumental damage and devastation, 'Nobody' slips between the black and white approach to right and wrong, showcasing that men on both sides of the law can be equally as ruthless and violent.
The film is anchored by a disgruntled Bob Odenkirk, delivering a performance that is not only intriguing and exciting but also believable. Taking on an action-thriller is a demanding task, yet Odenkirk has embraced his character and has put in the work to make his performance both serious and believable when it comes to the action sequences. In combination with well placed more light-hearted scenes, Odenkirk manages to deliver a surly and intense performance.
'Nobody' is directed by Ilya Naishuller, who has previously delivered 'Hardcore Henry', - another action packed thrill ride, unsurprisingly living up to the par with his earlier work. The screenplay is written by Derek Kolstad, who has a proven track record for delivering solemn and motivated works in terms of strong-headed and powerful men seeking retribution, as seen in his work in the 'John Wick' series.
The movie greatly benefits from a dark aesthetic, highlighting the main characters state of well-being and as markers for his peaks and throughs emotionally. One of the greatest attributes the film has is an excellently composed pace, accentuated by engaging and captivating fight and combat scenes holing the viewers attention for the duration of the feature. With a straightforward story and a barrage of brutal fight scenes, 'Nobody' is a gripping action flick that allows the viewer to experience violent savagery whilst maintaining a safe distance.
Score: 3/4
Comments