If you want better suspense
Choose The Furious. It scores 5.0 vs 1.5 for suspense, with a 4.0 overall score.
Normal Movie Review
Bottom Line
Choose Normal for Bob Odenkirk’s deadpan action-hero turn, creative gore, and darkly comic mayhem. Skip it if you need deep supporting characters, fresh plotting, or a consistently grounded tone.
Best for
Action-comedy fans who enjoy graphic, cartoonish violence, dry humor, and Odenkirk’s everyman persona should get the most from it. It also suits viewers wanting a brisk roughly 90-minute genre movie rather than a deep drama.
Not for
Viewers who dislike extreme gore, derivative plotting, shallow supporting characters, or abrupt tonal shifts are less likely to enjoy it. Those seeking sustained suspense or a deep character drama should look elsewhere.
Verdict
Normal works best as a lean, blackly comic action showcase. Bob Odenkirk is the clear consensus strength, selling Ulysses as weary, decent, funny, and surprisingly convincing once the bullets start flying. Ben Wheatley’s direction and the film’s practical-feeling violence, snowy visuals, and eccentric supporting cast give the second half real energy. The tradeoff is depth: many reviewers call the story familiar, the supporting characters underdeveloped, and the tonal shifts uneven. The roughly 90-minute runtime keeps the movie moving for most viewers, but some feel the setup drags while others think the finale rushes past material that needed more room. It is frequently described as fun and disposable rather than groundbreaking, with the action-comedy blend doing more work than the screenplay.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
36 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.09 (25%)
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Positive 3.5-4.414 (39%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.49 (25%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.44 (11%)
Pros highlights
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Most reviewers see Normal as brisk, bloody entertainment that delivers laughs and action even when it is familiar or forgettable. The strongest dissent comes from critics who find the thin writing and repetitive carnage too empty to be fun.
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Action is the movie’s most consistent strength, with frequent praise for creative kills, bruising fights, explosive shootouts, and visceral staging. A smaller group finds the gunfire repetitive, under-scaled, or numbing.
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Bob Odenkirk is the clearest consensus strength, praised for deadpan charm, weary humanity, comic timing, and believable everyman toughness. Even negative reviews often treat him as more compelling than the material around him.
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The black comedy works for many reviewers, especially when gruesome violence becomes the punchline. Reactions are not universal, with some calling the jokes hit-or-miss, corny, or outright cringe-inducing.
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Ben Wheatley is often credited with finding the right balance of deadpan comedy, brutal action, and small-town strangeness. A few harsher reviews call the execution sloppy, underwhelming, or less controlled than his stronger work.
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The supporting ensemble is generally well liked, with several reviewers praising the comic energy and colorful performances around Odenkirk. The main frustration is that the script often gives those performers too little material.
Cons highlights
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The central setup is often viewed as familiar and several twists are described as easy to anticipate. Reviewers generally see the execution, not the basic plot, as the more distinctive part.
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Ulysses gets the clearest emotional arc, but many reviewers find the supporting townspeople thin, underused, or discarded once the shooting starts. A few praise Alex, the deputies, and the ensemble for adding enough personality to keep the setup lively.
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Once the bank robbery erupts, many reviewers praise the movie’s speed and momentum. The first act is more divisive, with repeated complaints that the setup takes too long before the action kicks in.
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The hook is easy to enjoy, but the story itself draws substantial criticism for being thin, derivative, or overly convenient. Positive reviewers still find the conspiracy setup, reversals, and character-first moments fun enough to carry the movie.
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The finale sharply divides opinion. Some enjoy its sweet, unexpected, or playful resolution, while others find the final turn rushed, clichéd, unearned, or less satisfying than the action that precedes it.
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Normal shifts from low-key small-town mystery and wistful character drama into gleefully graphic action-comedy. The contrast can be entertaining, but the abrupt changes in mood sometimes make the film feel uneven.
Cast & Creators
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UlyssesBob Odenkirk is the movie’s most consistent strength, combining weary charm, dry humor, emotional weight, and convincing action-hero physicality. Even reviewers who dislike the script often find him highly watchable.
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Mayor KibnerHenry Winkler is repeatedly praised as a funny, distinctive supporting presence, with several reviewers saying his warm or genial screen persona plays especially well against the mayor’s darker side.
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DirectorBen Wheatley is widely praised for turning the material into a lively blend of deadpan comedy and brutal action, especially once the town erupts. A few critics find his execution uneven or underwhelming, but the overall view of his direction is strongly positive.
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BlaineRyan Allen receives strong notices for his comic supporting work, with reviewers praising both his ensemble performance and his humor as one of the deputies.
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MikeBilly MacLellan is praised for making Mike an effective comic presence, with reviewers enjoying the deputy’s goofy energy and ensemble contribution.
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MoiraLena Headey brings a sharp edge to Moira, balancing warmth, menace, and dry presence. Reviewers generally like what she does even when they wish the film gave her more to work with.
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other Movies, this product is above average in makeup quality, special effects quality, runtime, near average in lead performance, humor, below average in suspense, world-building, emotional impact.
Comparison summary
36 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher14 (39%)
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Same as average within 0.3 pts12 (33%)
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Below average 0.4+ pts lower10 (28%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| suspense | 1.5 | 3.7 | -2.2 |
| world-building | 2.0 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
| makeup quality | 5.0 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| emotional impact | 2.7 | 3.8 | -1.1 |
| special effects quality | 5.0 | 3.8 | +1.2 |
| runtime | 4.0 | 2.9 | +1.1 |
| soundtrack quality | 5.0 | 4.0 | +1.0 |
| originality | 2.6 | 3.2 | -0.6 |
Consider This Instead
If you want better world-building
Choose Heart of the Beast. It scores 5.0 vs 2.0 for world-building, with a 3.9 overall score.
If you want better tonal consistency
Choose Rose of Nevada. It scores 5.0 vs 2.8 for tonal consistency, with a 4.5 overall score.
If you want better realism
Choose Resident Evil. It scores 5.0 vs 2.9 for realism, with a 4.4 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
John Wick
- Compared: action style The reviewer contrasts Normal’s shootout-heavy action with John Wick’s gun-fu.
- Compared: overall action-comedy style The reviewer contrasts Normal with John Wick while saying it feels more like Hot Fuzz.
- Better: inspiration and action creativity The reviewer finds Normal less inspired than John Wick.
Hot Fuzz
- Better: overall quality The reviewer sees a similar setup but says Normal does not reach Hot Fuzz’s level.
- Similar: overall action-comedy style The reviewer says Normal plays more like an offshoot of Hot Fuzz than a John Wick-style film.
- Similar: small-town action-comedy setup The reviewer likens Normal’s tone and setup to hot fuzz in Minnesota.
Nobody
- Compared: action style The reviewer contrasts Normal’s shootout-heavy action with Nobody’s hand-to-hand combat.
- Better: action The reviewer finds Normal’s action less accomplished than NOBODY.
FAQ
Is Normal action-heavy?
Yes, especially after the bank robbery. Reviewers frequently praise the creative fights, shootouts, explosions, and gory kills, though a few find the action repetitive or underwhelming.
How violent is Normal?
Very violent. The reviews repeatedly describe graphic bloodshed, dismemberment, explosions, and exaggerated gore, often used as part of the movie’s black comedy.
How is Bob Odenkirk in the lead?
He is the clearest consensus strength. Reviewers praise his deadpan humor, weary likability, emotional grounding, and surprisingly convincing everyman action-hero presence.
Is the story original?
Not especially. Many reviewers see familiar DNA from action movies and snowy small-town crime stories, although some enjoy the twists and the unusual combination of those ingredients.
Does the movie develop its characters well?
Ulysses gets the strongest arc, but supporting characters often feel thin or underused. A few reviewers like Alex, the deputies, and the broader ensemble more than the overall consensus does.
Does the dark humor work?
Often, but not for everyone. Many reviewers laugh at the gruesome sight gags and deadpan absurdity, while others call the jokes hit-or-miss, corny, or cringe-inducing.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
Video Reviews
Article Reviews
thecinemanook.com
Genre: Action, Crime, ComedyDirected by: Ben WheatleyStarring: Bob Odenkirk, Lena Heady, Henry WinklerRelease Date: April…
- Review score
- 2.9
thelastthingisee.com
Bob Odenkirk is back as a normal guy pushed to violence in Ben Wheatley's action thriller 'Normal.' Not to be confused with 'Nobody.
- Review score
- 2.1
ukfilmreview.co.uk
Normal film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey directed by Ben Wheatley.
- Review score
- 4.5
decider.com
The amiable, recently minted action-comedy star leads a familiar, yet funny romp.
- Review score
- 4.4
lastmovieoutpost.com
This weekend, I watched Heat again for the first time in what turned out to be nearly 20 years. No idea why it took me so long. I saw it in...
- Review score
- 4.4
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