Normal | SXSW 2026 Film Review

There’s something quietly satisfying about watching Bob Odenkirk continue to carve out this late-career pivot into action territory. What started as a bit of a surprise has now become a bona fide lane, and with Normal, he proves once again that you don’t need superhuman physique or CGI-enhanced spectacle to sell intensity. You just need presence, timing, and a willingness to look like you have actually taken a punch.

Normal follows a seemingly average, temporary Sheriff in Normal, Minnesota. Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) is simply trying to rebuild his soul after a traumatic incident in his past, and believes life in small-town America might be the perfect place to do it. Normal is led by a quirky Mayor (Henry Winkler), has delightful townsfolk that take to Ulysses (Lena Headey), and everyone is supportive of each other despite minor quibbles. Everything appears, well, normal until a bank robbery gone wrong shines a bright light on the town’s darkest secret which I won’t spoil for you here. But let’s just say that Sheriff Ulysses is suddenly Normal’s greatest threat, and the world is closing in on him.

From the jump, Normal thrives on its premise. It’s the kind of concept that feels just clever enough to hook you without screaming for attention. There is a cheekiness baked into the storytelling from John Wick writer Derek Kolstad – an awareness of its own absurdity – but it never quite tips over into parody. Instead, it plays things straight just long enough that when things do get weird or heightened, it feels earned rather than indulgent.

And that is where Odenkirk shines brightest. He continues his impressive run as a middle-aged action lead, leaning into a persona that feels grounded and real. This isn’t a superhero. This isn’t even a hyper-stylized assassin. This is a guy who gets winded, who hesitates, who looks like he is calculating risk in real time. That grounded approach makes every action beat hit that much harder. We are not watching invincibility, we are watching survival.

That said, don’t mistake “grounded” for “boring.” When Normal decides to throw down, it does so with surprising brutality. The action is bombastic in spurts, almost catching you off guard with how explosive it can be. One minute you’re in a quiet, tension-filled scene before all hell breaks and bullets are flying in every direction. It is that contrast that director Ben Wheatley utilizes to keep the film engaging; Normal never settles into a predictable rhythm.

What really elevates the experience, at least for the first two acts, is how the story unfolds. There is a mystery element at play that keeps you leaning forward, trying to piece together what’s really going on. The script flirts with big ideas without getting too bogged down in its own ambition. For most of the runtime, Normal feels clever, occasionally even sly, and just self-aware enough to keep things interesting.

But then, there is the final act.

Without diving into spoiler territory, it feels like the film suddenly loses confidence in the very story it has been telling. The tonal balance that worked so well earlier begins to wobble, and the narrative takes a turn that feels less like a natural evolution and more like a hard pivot. It is the kind of shift that makes you sit back and go, “Wait, this is what we’re doing now?”

Knowing the Derek Kolstad also penned John Wick, you can almost see the impulse to escalate events into something bigger, louder, and more definitive. But here, that instinct does not quite land. Instead of building to a satisfying conclusion, the film veers into a direction that feels disconnected from its own setup. It is not that the ending is outright bad (there is a set-piece that is pulled off brilliantly, in fact), it is simply misaligned. Like the story forgot what made it compelling in the first place and took the easy way out.

Still, Normal is far from a misfire. Even with its uneven landing, there is a lot here to appreciate. Odenkirk remains a compelling physical presence, the action delivers more punch than expected, and the premise carries enough intrigue to keep you invested for the majority of the ride. Normal may not redefine the genre, but it reinforces one thing loud and clear: Bob Odenkirk isn’t done surprising us just yet.