An ordinary guy utilizes his disability to become an unexpected hero in Directors Dan Berk & Robert Olsen’s action comedy, Novocaine.
Berk & Olsen’s film tells the story of Nathan Caine, a mild-mannered introvert with congenital insensitivity to pain. When Sherry, his co-worker/girl of his dreams, gets taken hostage by a gang of robbers, his condition becomes a surprising advantage as he fights to rescue her.
On March 23, after the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles, Berk & Olsen discussed the making of Novocaine during a Q&A moderated by Director Drew Hancock (Companion).
During the conversation, Berk revealed how they knew the movie was going to be funny.
"When we were on set shooting it, we were blowing takes because the whole crew was cracking up. If the people who are paid to not laugh and ruin a take are laughing, then an audience is going to have a good time.”
Olsen spoke about finding the chemistry between their lead actors, Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder.
"Off screen they're two of the sweetest, kindest, most gracious performers you'll ever meet. But on screen their energies are so different. Jack, especially in this role, is this kind of shy, sheltered guy and Amber just has this kind of magnetism and energy in her. She's so fearless in her presence on screen. They have two very different looks, but the camera loves both of them and it was really fun working on that and getting their kind of opposing energies to yin and yang in the right ways."
Berk & Olsen’s other directorial credits include the feature films Significant Other, Villains, The Stakelander and Body. They have been DGA members since 2021.