My quick rating – 6.3/10. Normal opens in the last place I expected a movie called Normal to begin. Osaka, Japan. Because apparently the best way to kick off a neo-Western thriller set in snowy Minnesota is with a Japanese version of “Paranoid,” a brutal loyalty test, and the kind of pinky-removal situation that makes you instinctively hide your own hand behind your back. Things escalate quickly too. Refuse the loyalty test? Off comes your head. Casual stuff. Before long, someone ships two very unlucky guys off to the tiny town of Normal, Minnesota, where things definitely do not plan to stay normal.

Enter Bob Odenkirk as Ulysses. He’s a substitute sheriff temporarily escaping some personal & professional baggage. If there is one thing Odenkirk does exceptionally well these days, it is playing exhausted men who look like they desperately need a nap. Yet still fully capable of ruining your day. Through amusing narration and some genuinely funny small-town interactions, Ulysses settles into Normal, meeting locals, including the Mayor, played by Henry Winkler. Whenever the Fonz, er…Winkler shows up in something, there is an immediate boost, even if the movie surrounding him is quietly threatening to spiral into complete chaos.

The town itself feels oddly cozy at first. Snow-covered streets, quiet routines, everyone seemingly knowing each other. As someone who misses snowy weather, Normal absolutely scratches that itch with its chilly atmosphere. It looks cold enough that I practically wanted to throw on another blanket while watching.

Then comes the bank robbery. Except in a tiny town like this, a robbery feels less like an inconvenience and more like the apocalypse arriving fifteen years early. Ulysses walks in, hoping to calm things down, and from there… yeah, I am deliberately keeping things vague because where Normal goes is far more entertaining if you discover it yourself. This is one of those films where every reveal lands better without spoilers, and trust me, some of them are gloriously weird.

Director Ben Wheatley continues his tradition of making films that seem mildly offended if you expect comfort or straightforward answers. Normal is strange, unsettling, and intentionally awkward in all the right ways. The story doesn’t hold your hand, and honestly, it feels like Wheatley standing in the corner saying, “Figure it out, mate.” Somehow, that works here. The off-balance tone gives the movie personality, even if it occasionally leaves you blinking at the screen wondering if you accidentally missed ten minutes.

There is also some solid action mixed throughout, including moments of accidental violence that caught me completely off guard and genuinely made me laugh. The movie balances tension and absurdity surprisingly well without tipping fully into parody.

Inevitably, Normal will get compared to Odenkirk’s recent Nobody films, and I’d personally put it around the level of Nobody 2. Not quite reaching the heights of the first Nobody, but still a fun, violent ride with enough unpredictability to keep things interesting. Outside of Odenkirk, don’t get too attached to anybody either. This movie makes it very clear that survival is more of a suggestion than a guarantee.

If you’re a fan of Odenkirk, strange action thrillers, or movies that enjoy keeping you slightly uncomfortable while occasionally making you laugh at accidental deaths, Normal will probably be worth checking out. Just don’t expect anything remotely…well, normal.