Normal (2026) – Review

1. Between The Forbidden City and Normal, it’s been a good year for kitchen fights
2. I normally hate comparing movies to each other, but I love that Normal feels like Hot Fuzz met Nobody and formed a variation of the first season of Fargo. 
3. Writer Derek Kolstad (Nobody 1 & 2, Normal) and Bob Odenkirk have formed a fun collaboration
4. Ben Wheatley knows how to kill people in creative ways. 
5. I love a straightforward 90-minute action film.

In another era, Normal would’ve been an all-timer cable (TNT, FX, TBS, etc) film that fit within a two-hour afternoon block nicely. The Ben Wheatley (Kill List, Sightseers, Meg 2; The Trench) directed film blends an amiable nature with exploding bodies to create a carnage-filled action film. Filmed in Winnipeg, the believably cold-looking movie punches above its weight because of the familiarity between star Bob Odenkirk and writer Derek Kolstad, who worked together on the Nobody films.

The film focuses on an interim sheriff named Sheriff Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) who discovers that his temporary sheriff job in Normal, Minnesota, is far from normal. Unlike many of the small towns in America that are slowly dying, Normal seems to be a thriving and friendly place filled with amiable locals, $16 million building renovations, an incredibly well-stocked armory, and a bank guarded by Yakuza gangsters (there’s a cold open involving Yakuza members). Ulysses is in town because the prior sheriff froze during a late-night fishing trip, and he left his well-stocked whiskey bar, extravagant home, and estranged daughter Alex (Jess McLeod) behind. Ulysses has no plans to change anything, just ride out his eight-week tenure and leave the town as it was. However, after meeting the townsfolk played by Henry Winkler, Lena Heady, Billy MacLellan, and Ryan Allen, things take an ill-fated turn when two amateur thieves (Brendan Fletcher, Reena Jolly) attempt to rob the local bank. It would be rude to give away more of the plot, just know that paint is stolen by a moose, stump removers cause chaos, and leather jackets make a lot of noise.

I’ve been a fan of Wheatley since 2011, when Kill List introduced me to his unique blend of humor and violence. His films Down Terrace, Kill List, Sightseers, Free Fire (I love it so much), A Field in England and even Meg 2: The Trench (Viva la jet ski action scenes), prepared him well for Normal. It’s not as abrasive as Down Terrace or depressing as Kill List, but it proves that he has the chops to handle an amiable neo-western that plays like an inverted High Noon. During production, he must’ve realized that Odenkirk had a form handle on his character, so he let Odenkirk cook as he created a likable man who has seen better days after a tragic shooting incident. Ulysses is an observant, instinctive, and capable cop who works well with others and knows how to gently dislodge items stuck in vending machines. When the action pops off, it’s fun watching the trained cop battle lesser-skilled (but very well-armed) people who want him dead.

In an interview with FILMFARE.com, Wheatley said the goal was to make a fun and non-cynical classic western/modern action cinema hybrid (with heart), and he succeeded. If you’re looking for a likable 90-minute action film, you’re going to love Normal. It’s a good time.