Bob Odenkirk Stars in Cheerfully Weird Small-Town Thriller 'Normal'

AI Summary

Bob Odenkirk stars in the new film 'Normal', a cheerfully weird small-town thriller that combines elements of 'Fargo' and 'The Firm'. The film, co-written by Odenkirk, follows a depressed and troubled sheriff who uncovers a dark secret in the seemingly idyllic town of Normal, Minnesota.

The Unlikely Hero of Normal

Bob Odenkirk continues his new career as the everyguy action hero in this cynically bleak gonzo actionfest, co-written by Odenkirk himself with John Wick creator Derek Kolstad. The director is Ben Wheatley, who shows the same kind of gunplay that was exhibited in his single-location mayhem spectacular Free Fire from 2017.

A Town of Deception

The setting is a place of Fargo-esque wholesomeness: a little town in Minnesota called Normal where Ulysses, played by Odenkirk, shows up as the interim sheriff, a decent guy just filling in after the previous sheriff was found dead in the snow in strange circumstances. Ulysses is depressed and battling a drinking problem after an unexplained violent end to his last job, which caused him to separate from his wife.

The Dark Secret Unfolds

Yet something is very wrong: when a bank robbery happens in this one-horse town, events are set in train which reveal to Ulysses that everything about Normal, like the blandly prosperous law practice in Sydney Pollack’s film The Firm, rests on a single, awful secret that he is about to uncover. It’s entertaining and bizarre chaos, anchored by Odenkirk’s hangdog air of gloomy resignation to the violent mess which he has to clean up.

The Film's Release

Normal is in UK and Irish cinemas from 15 May.