Superhero films controlled popular culture for a decade before the pandemic altered the movie landscape. The rising ticket prices and the comfort of streaming platforms placed dents in the dominance of superhero films. One of the more promising post-pandemic developments is the return of mid-budget films—productions that cost about $20 million to $50 million. The horror genre carried mid-budget cinema on its profitable back during the peak era of superhero films, but it seems the other genres are making a proper comeback.

People used to flock to action comedies, but superhero movies co-opted the once-thriving subgenre and left a trail of unsuccessful but entertaining fares like “American Made” and “Game Night.” Following the indie darling “Thelma” and the less-than-successful “Love Hurts” comes another action-comedy, “Novocaine.” The fifth collaboration between directors Dan Berk and Robert Olsen is about a banker who suffers from a rare condition that makes him insensitive to pain.

Nathan Cane (Jack Quaid) does not feel pain. He abstains from solid foods to avoid biting his tongue off and sets an alarm to remind him to take regular bathroom breaks. His mundane life takes a surprising turn after a dinner meet-up with his crush, Sherry (Amber Midthunder). Nathan Cane ate a pie and brought home a girl. Nothing can break his momentum—except a botched bank heist that forced him to leave his comfort zone after the robbers took her dream girl hostage.

Crucial to the film is the casting of Jack Quaid. The directors revealed that he was their first choice for the lead role. Likable and nerdish, Nathan Cane is the spiritual brother of his breakout role, Hughie Campbell, in the anti-superhero series, “The Boys.” The catch-all term for his type is the “Everyman.” James Stewart and Tom Hanks are the blueprints of the “Everyman” actor. There is a bit of a pushback to the term, so let me spell out their appeal: appropriately handsome, pleasant white men who play affable screen characters. Quaid ticks all the requirements, and it also helps that, in real life, he is a modest nepo kid who supports labor unions.

Great action comedies create humor from the action and uplift the action through humor. It is the spirit present in the silent films of Buster Keaton and perfected during the peak of Hong Kong action cinema. Pull up the essential films of Jackie Chan; each one is an educational guide to the genre. “Novocaine” exploits Nathan’s genetic quirk and places him in situations where he needs to transform his limitations into advantages. We watch Nathan hold a hot iron skillet with his bare hands to beat up one of the robbers or pretend to feel excruciating pain during a torture session. The directors stick to the conceit and escalate the action as it progresses. The sequences keep getting gnarlier, which might be too squeamish for some. However, I felt the initial action set pieces were more inventive than the rest and left me somewhat unsatisfied.

What makes “Novocaine” effective is the effort placed on the characters and their relationships. Beneath the onscreen bloodbath is a sweet undercurrent that stems from the blossoming friendship between Nathan and Sherry. The couple sits at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum: he cannot feel pain, and she–a former foster child with suicidal tendencies–needs to feel pain. There is a standout scene where the couple explores their scars and tattoos, and it feels like their bodies are unfinished tapestries of pain and despair.

Despite its faults, “Novocaine” is a blast that will entertain fans of action movies. I hope to see more low- and mid-budget films on the big screen. Modern cinema need not be a soulless, homogenous blob but a smorgasbord of choices: indies and blockbusters, mid-budget fares and big-budgeted ensembles, prestige projects and genre staples. In his Oscar speech, acclaimed writer Cord Jefferson pleaded with producers to make more mid-budget films. “I understand that this is a risk-averse industry. I get it. But $200 million movies are also a risk. And it doesn’t always work out, but you take the risk anyway. Instead of making one $200 million movie, try making twenty $10 million movies. Or fifty $4 million movies.” Preach, Cord, preach.