For close to 30 years, we have known that Bob Odenkirk is an actor who refuses to remain in one groove. To some, he is still the quick-witted Saul Goodman, who is the comic-turned-lawyer and stole every scene that he was in of ‘Breaking Bad’ and later made it to the headlines of one of television’s greatest dramas in ‘Better Call Saul.’ To others, he is still the surprise action hero of ‘Nobody’ (2021), a film that transformed his middle-aged everyman persona into that of an unlikely but believable action hero. Now, at TIFF 2025, Odenkirk shows that he is anything but done reinventing himself with ‘Normal.’ It is a blistering, blood-soaked, and very amusing Western thriller helmed by no less than genre master Ben Wheatley.
At first glance, the movie Normal appears to be the same old genre-driven film that is loaded with shootouts, the typical depiction of bloodshed, and the endless cycle of small-town corruption. Wheatley and writer Derek Kolstad, who is most recognized for his work in John Wick and Nobody, have other plans and are not going to let this movie have a straight trajectory. The beginning of the film does not take place in the American Midwest as it did in Breaking Bad but instead took the story to Japan, introducing the audience to an intense scene of Yakuza punishment which takes place gradually throughout the story. By the time Ulysses, Odenkirk’s character, lands in the peaceful Midwestern town of Normal to fill in as an interim sheriff, we already know that this is not your typical Western.
Ben Wheatley Blends Western Thriller With Satirical Edge
Ulysses is no glory-seeker, anyway, as he comes bearing the scars of a man who has faced turmoil in his married life and made some questionable choices along the way. Northerly Normal, at first, appears to be what he needs: a postcard-perfect town smothered in snow, with welcoming neighbors and the rustic charm of folksy goodness. But that is quickly dispelled by the events that follow a botched bank robbery and a chain reaction of violence. Ulysses learns too soon that there is a conspiracy at play in the town, one that goes so deep that it is less a puzzle of “who can do it” and more of a paranoid unspooling of “who are the people not involved in this?” We watch how quickly the neighbors become his enemies, the deputies turn on him, and the sheriff who hopes for peace finds himself the target of an entire community bent on wiping him out.
Though the shootouts and arterial spray will prove to be adequate for us, what ultimately gives Normal its bite is its satirical streak. Wheatley has always been keen on laying bare the decay rife in society, as witnessed in Kill List and Sightseers. In this case, he employs the typical Western thriller format in order to lampoon small-town America’s fixation with maintaining order through self-protection and guns. The film has perfectly lampooned the entire law-and-order mythology by ensuring that it never turns into moralistic bluster.
In spite of these grey areas, there is no lack of a sense of humor that is very deliberately subdued. A misplaced joke before a shootout, in which a sheriff is trying to decide the colors of yarn to use during an interrogation, and a squeaky jacket that ruins a tense moment with a partner are all reminders that violence will often eschew perfect timing. The humor does not serve the sole purpose of lightening the mood. Rather, it also serves as a way for the film to exist firmly in reality through its awkwardness. This bloodletting that ensues is both absurd and necessary. In many ways, Normal has the same satirical edge that Hot Fuzz possessed, but Wheatley’s sensibility is much darker.
As creative as the direction can be, Normal is the property of Odenkirk. His take on Ulysses eschews the invincible tradition that pervades contemporary action films. He stumbles, bleeds, and errs. However, it is this fallibility that makes him so compelling. Odenkirk has the ability to deliver a punchline with the Fargo-esque subtlety of deadpan timing and subsequently segue into a moment of sincere pathos in minutes. His Ulysses is not the brightest or most muscular individual present, but he remains the most human, and this is exactly why he is so easy to root for.
This delicate dance of humor, despair, and violence would fall apart without the presence of Odenkirk. He never lets the movie go full-on parody, but at the same time, he never tries to make it seem like some sort of serious-minded melodrama. Rather, he finds a middle ground that is both rough-around-the-edges and authentic. It is no wonder that his recent career arc as some sort of action hero figurehead has been so compelling to observe.
TIFF 2025 Premiere Showcases Odenkirk’s Versatility
The secondary cast also serves to enhance the complexity of the movie. Henry Winkler’s portrayal of the mayor in the town is deceivingly warm, with hidden agendas, while Lena Headey serves as a cool counterbalance to Odenkirk’s presence, bringing depth to every scene she is featured in. The deputy, played by Billy MacLellan, serves as both comic relief and source of tension, as the running gag of his squeaky jacket somehow comes to represent the style of Wheatley’s tension. Normal takes little time for anything, clocking in at ninety minutes. Wheatley moves with a quick tempo that never lets the viewer feel too at ease. The tone changes may be disconcerting during the opening scenes but by the midpoint, the uneasy mix of satire and brutality is exactly the point. The subplots may be a bit raw, but the spirit of the work and Odenkirk’s presence bring it all off. Whatever its final cut may be, Normal understands precisely what it wants to be, and this allows it to flourish. It is an extremely sharp, violent, and perversely entertaining film that carries just enough heft to separate it from more generic action cinema. Normal, premiering on September 7th as part of TIFF, also casts Odenkirk as a believable action hero, but more importantly as a lead actor able to carry a film that depends on contradictions. A violent and hilarious, satirical and sincere, and simultaneously grotesque and compelling film is, in any case, anything but normal, and more importantly, it will never be ordinary when Bob Odenkirk decides to get involved.
