Nobody is a 2021 action thriller directed by Ilya Naishuller starring Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul). The screenplay is penned by Derek Kolstad. Apart from Odenkirk, the film also stars RZA, Connie Nielsen, Aleksei Serebryakov, and Christopher Lloyd. It follows Hutch Mansell, a man with a history of violence but who has now mellowed down. He now lives with his family, and people’s views of him are generally that of a wimp. After he fails to defend his family from burglars, his itch to get down and dirty only increases. Wanting to contend with his rage, he saves a stranger being harassed by a group of men. This puts a target on his head, and he is now being hunted by a vengeful drug lord. In a flurry of guns, fists, and car chases, he must now save his family and command respect from others again.
Nobody hit theatres on March 26, 2021, in the United States. The critical reception to the film has been largely positive. Critics and fans have lauded Odenkirk’s macho performance and the film’s action sequences. Comparisons to Keanu Reeve’s John Wick have been made. The over-the-top action scenes coupled with Odenkirk’s phenomenal efforts to be in shape elevate the film.
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Nobody — Synopsis and Plot Details
Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) is a regular family man at first glance. He lives his ordinary life with his two children and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen). He has a regular job at a metal fabrication company owned by Eddie (Michael Ironside), his father-in-law. Hutch is a seemingly regular office worker who is a reserved man. But this regular life is gradually gnawing at him, making him want to break free from this mundanity with a passion. It has been years since he last had any action on the bed with his wife. His son Blake doesn’t respect him at all. Blake’s impression of his father is that he’s a wimp. The only one to give Hutch any affection or respect is his daughter, Sammy.
One of these nights, two thieves break into Hutch’s house, hold him at gunpoint, and demand money. Hutch makes do with his watch. As they leave, Blake tries to take them on. Hutch also goes for a swing of the golf club but stops himself at the last moment. The thieves get away, and the tackle leaves Blake with a black eye. This incident only furthers Blake from his father and diminishes whatever little respect he had for him. Everyone that knows Hutch asks him why he didn’t try and stop the burglars. Later, we see Hutch contact his brother Harry (RZA), who is supposed to be dead. He talks to him through a hidden radio in his office and tells him about the reason he didn’t stop the burglars.
Getting Back into Business
Hutch tells his brother that he found out that the burglar duo was using an unloaded gun, so he didn’t see any reason to intervene. When he returns home, Sammy asks him to find her bracelet. Hutch believes it must be the burglars who took it. Afterward, he goes to visit his father, David (Christopher Lloyd) and borrows his old FBI badge and gun. He then tracks down the burglars in their apartment. He goes in, threatening them, but soon discovers the reason they burgled. Hutch realizes that they robbed him because they wanted to pay for their sick baby’s treatment. He leaves their apartment empty-handed and ashamed. On his way back home, he takes a bus. However, the bus is stopped by a gang of Russian punks. Intensely frustrated and itching to fight, he takes it up to them, giving them a whupping of their lifetimes.
Hutch is then sent by his brother Harry to see a man known as “The Barber” (Colin Salmon). He gives Hutch the information about one of the punks he savaged. The victim is the younger brother of a Russian mob enforcer Yulian Kuznetsov (Aleksei Serebryakov). Yulian isn’t exactly fond of his brother, but he has to avenge him out of obligation. He gets Hutch’s location revealed and sends men led by his right-hand man Pavel to attack Hutch. When the men arrive, Hutch hides his family and goes on to kill most of the men. However, Pavel is successful in subduing him with the help of a taser. He then puts Hutch into the car and heads off. On the way, though, Hutch disables the car, kills the rest of the crew, and tells his family to leave. He then burns his house to destroy evidence.
The Backstory and Final Showdown
This is when we get the backstory of Hutch. It’s revealed that Hutch used to be an “auditor.” He was basically an assassin hired by intelligence agencies to execute the most difficult jobs. He used to kill the ones that were considered untouchable or too difficult to detain. Hutch used to do the job no problem until one day when he let go of a man who he was supposed to kill. The man was embezzling the US government’s funds, and Hutch had let him go free. A year later, Hutch found the man and saw that he had started a new life and family. Hutch then decided to retire, much to his superiors’ reluctance. He started a new life and tried his best to say goodbye to his previous life.
Hutch later gives Eddie a whole stash of gold bars to buy his company from him. He then burns Yulian’s art collection and his money. He tells Yulian that he has two choices. Either he comes after him, or he takes whatever is left and runs away. Yulian is enraged and calls up every man he can to come together and chase Hutch. The men chase Hutch to a factory, where David and Harry are already present to help him take down the crew. David and Harry have come prepared, laced with an eclectic range of weapons to shoot then gangsters down. Epic action-filled savagery ensues.
Conclusion and Post-Credits Scene
Finally, there’s only one survivor on the gangsters’ side — Yulian. But now for longer, as Hutch takes a claymore and kills him with it. Before the police arrive, Hutch lets Harry and David escape from the crime scene. Hutch is detained by the police but released in no time with no charges filed. Three months have passed, and Hutch is buying a new house with Becca. He gets a call that tells him that he’s still needed for his services. In the mid-credits scene, Harry and David roll up to an unknown location in an RV packed with guns.
Nobody is a Great Summer Action Blockbuster
Nobody is a bare-knuckle action flurry of guns, car chases, and whole lotta punches. It comes with a couple of comedic moments that land. With its lean and tight runtime with stupendous pace, Nobody is a very effective action film. There are many fight scenes with creative ingenuity. The choreography for the fight sequences is refreshing and innovative. The setups and execution are clever. It is very reminiscent of the John Wick films in terms of fight choreography. It also shares John Wick’s resourceful and improvisational fighting style. Also, it has a similarly fast pace and a runtime that passes by very quickly. It’s very straightforward, too, taking little time to jump into action. The opening montage of Hutch’s mundane life is also done very cleverly.
The best part about the movie, however, is Odenkirk’s great performance. He puts commendable efforts into depicting a man with a violent past and one who’s itching to get back to it. He brings a certain charisma and acting talent that is certainly better than Keanu’s in John Wick. RZA and Christopher Lloyd also present their A-game. However, Hutch’s wife and his kids could have been given more to do here than to just serve the plot. But it’s Odenkirk who’s the star of the film. He had worked pretty hard to prep up for the role and get into the physique. And it certainly paid off. His stuntwork lends credulity to the role and makes the fights look more genuine.
The innovative fight choreography and a great performance by Bob Odenkirk make the film a must-watch. Our rating for Nobody is 4 out of 5.
Here’s the trailer to the film;
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