Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- sardonic
- irreverent
- dark comedy night
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics found the film inventive and stylish in its screwball noir ambitions, but broadly agreed that its clashing tones and uneven plotting prevent the comedy and suspense from cohering.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frank Sangster’s innocent lie transforms his orderly dental practice and private life into a widening criminal quagmire.
The film places illicit sex, drugs, murder, and pursuit inside a bitingly comic, noir-influenced framework.
Frank begins as a straight-laced, prosperous dentist before criminal accusations and forbidden entanglements overturn his social identity.
Critical reception repeatedly identifies the film’s pronounced stylistic surface and noir elements as central to its effect.
Films like Novocaine, and why
The Big Lebowski
shares screwball humor, crime entanglement, and noir-inflected suspense
Fargo
shares a hapless protagonist, escalating criminal complications, and darkly comic tone
After Hours
shares stylish neo-noir atmosphere, illicit schemes, and jarring black comedy
The Heartbreak Kid
shares comic crime plotting, sexual intrigue, and an ordinary man pulled into danger
Movie Details
- Director
- David Atkins
- Release Date
- 2001-11-23
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (170)
Cast
- Steve Martin
- Helena Bonham Carter
- Laura Dern
- Lynne Thigpen
- Chelcie Ross
- Polly Noonan
- JoBe Cerny
- Elias Koteas
- Yasen Peyankov
- Scott Caan
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Novocaine about?
- A buttoned-up dentist’s small lie spirals into a stylish, sexually charged criminal farce involving drugs, murder, and a life he can no longer control.
- What is Novocaine like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Novocaine as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Novocaine violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Novocaine as moderate.
- What did critics think of Novocaine?
- Critics found the film inventive and stylish in its screwball noir ambitions, but broadly agreed that its clashing tones and uneven plotting prevent the comedy and suspense from cohering.
- Which films are like Novocaine?
- Films with a similar feel include The Big Lebowski, Fargo, After Hours, and The Heartbreak Kid.
- How long is Novocaine?
- Novocaine runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Novocaine?
- In United States, Novocaine streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel.
