Normal

One of my favorite things to watch is when an actor changes lanes and starts doing something different from what they’re known for. Names like Chris Pratt and Will Smith come to mind, and now you can add Bob Odenkirk to that list.

He was known early on for his comedy work, especially Mr. Show with Bob and David, and then completely reinvented himself with Breaking Bad. But he wasn’t done yet. Now we’ve got Bob Odenkirk, action star—and based on his latest film, Normal, he’s gotten pretty good at it.

This time around, he plays Ulysses Richardson, a sheriff who travels from town to town, filling in until a permanent replacement is found. His latest stop is Normal, Minnesota, where the previous sheriff has just had a heart attack. At first, everything seems… well, normal.

But that quickly changes.

A bank robbery pulls Richardson into something much bigger than he expected. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned for any involved.

After a failed attempt on Richardson’s life, he teams up with two robbers and realizes that if they want to survive, they’re going to have to fight back. From there, it’s exactly what you’d expect—plenty of bullets, creative action, and Richardson doing whatever it takes to make it out alive.

Written by Derek Kolstad and Odenkirk, Normal definitely feels familiar at times. That makes sense, given Kolstad’s work on the John Wick films and Nobody. But while it shares some DNA with those movies, Richardson isn’t cut from the same cloth as those characters.

Going in, I expected something very similar—but I was pleasantly surprised. Normal manages to carve out its own identity, adding a few new ingredients that give the formula a bit of a twist.

The film is both hilarious and brutal, with plenty of bursts of entertainment throughout. If you want a comparison, it has the background and characters of Fargo and the vibe of something like Hot Fuzz—not in terms of quality, but mostly in tone. The setting, the offbeat characters, and even the sheriff all feel like they’re operating in that same kind of wacky yet grounded space.

A lot of that comes down to Odenkirk, who really makes the movie work. He brings his affable charm and a unique ability to balance comedy and action in a way that feels effortless.

That said, Normal isn’t perfect. Some parts of the story feel uneven, and a few characters come off as a bit shallow. But even with those flaws, Odenkirk elevates the material enough to make it a really entertaining shoot-em-up.