Now Streaming: Jack Quaid In The Best Action Movie Of 2025 (So Far)

There has been an uptick in action movies in the last few years. Just look at what’s in theaters right now: Thunderbolts*, Shadow Force, The Accountant 2, The Amateur…This may mean we’re in an action movie golden age.

So when I say that this Jack Quaid action movie that came out earlier this year is the best one so far, that distinction holds a bit of weight. What movie am I talking about? The action comedy, Novocaine, about an assistant bank manager who can’t feel pain going after the woman he’s crushing on after a bank robbery gone wrong. And I have some great news: It’s now streaming on Paramount+. But before you decide if you’re going to watch it tonight, here are some spoiler-free reasons why watching it’s a must:

It’s like this movie was made for Jack Quaid.

After his work on The Boys and in rom coms like Plus One, it’s clear that everyone’s favorite Nepo Baby, Jack Quaid, is great at doing a mixture of funny and serious, sweet and savage, and that’s exactly what this role needed. Nate has been so careful all his life, including avoiding falling in love, that this action movie required someone who could realistically be a badass for the very first time in his life. And Jack Quaid nails it.

The fight scenes are unique and escalate as the film goes on.

As you read above, Nate has a rare disorder where he can’t feel pain. You can only imagine how that could affect a cut scene. It’s hard to stop someone when they can’t even feel the hits you’re landing on them.

It’s just so funny.

The humor in Novocaine is a breath of fresh air. Every joke lands, and there are plenty of them. And because the premise and main character are so unique, these are jokes you likely won’t see coming. With both physical comedy and tightly written jabs, it’s fun for the full hour and 49 minutes.

You know the twist and you’re fine with it.

Okay, as much as this movie is amazing, it doesn’t exactly do a good job hiding the twist. If you’ve seen the trailer, you can probably guess it. But here’s the thing: The twist isn’t really for us–it’s for Nate. And he’s just naïve and inexperienced enough to not see it coming.

Watch Novocaine on Paramount+.