If there is one thing you can count on, it is that a movie-town named Normal will be anything but normal. In the case of this aptly named town—Normal—it is located in Minnesota. At first glance, it is a small, picturesque place where everyone knows everyone else and life proceeds at a very leisurely pace. However, there is something strange about the fact that the town has, somehow, shelled out $15 million for a restoration project. Where would a population of barely 1,000 inhabitants get that kind of money?
That is the question Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) finds himself asking. He is the interim sheriff, brought in to maintain stability following the unexpected—and, frankly, somewhat suspicious—death of the previous sheriff. Ulysses has a single objective: "to leave the town exactly as I found it." In other words, to not exert himself too much during his eight-week tenure. That becomes impossible the moment he realizes that Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler) is orchestrating something shady among the residents of Normal. And it takes only a single bank robbery to bring that dark secret to light.
Director: Ben Wheatley
Writers: Derek Kolstad, Bob Odenkirk
Stars: Bob Odenkirk, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan
Bob Odenkirk became an unlikely cinematic action hero with the film *Nobody* (2021) and its 2025 sequel. Although he has to engage in his fair share of brawls here, Ulysses often relies on his wits to get by. Tossing sticks of dynamite proves just as effective as drawing a gun or punching someone in the face. Odenkirk understands that the material intentionally adopts a somewhat exaggerated tone, so he makes the wise decision to play the character with total seriousness. In doing so, he underscores the film's biggest and cleverest joke: that Ulysses fails spectacularly in his mission to do absolutely nothing for eight weeks.
If he wanted to slack off, he picked the wrong town. Derek Kolstad’s script—based on a story he conceived alongside Odenkirk—introduces us to a cast of colorful locals who seem a little too... well, *normal* to be real. The film might have gained some heft had we been able to spend a bit more time with them before chaos erupted, but it remains entertaining nonetheless to watch them reveal their true colors. Once the town’s secret comes to light, their customary Midwestern joviality transforms into something else entirely. The premise is far-fetched; yet, it paves the way for some twisted humor and a seemingly endless stream of chaotic, wild, and violent situations.
Director Ben Wheatley (*Kill List*) orchestrates the action with a breakneck pace and a gloriously over-the-top style. The demise of one particular character is so divinely macabre that it had me laughing out loud. (They certainly had it coming.) Furthermore, the director keeps the small-town atmosphere front and center, thereby adding an extra layer of comedy. One wouldn't expect to witness violent misdeeds of this magnitude in a town as quaint and placid as Normal.
The film makes no pretensions to be anything other than a bloody action-comedy. And, as a piece of light entertainment within that genre, it works to perfection. *Normal* is fun from start to finish, and Bob Odenkirk is splendid in his role as the sheriff—a man who wants to do absolutely nothing, yet ends up having to do everything. If *John Wick* and *Fargo* were to have a love child, this would be the result.
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