Coming to theaters on March 14, Novocaine, an action thriller from Infared Pictures, is quickly garnering attention from prediction market traders.
With only the social embargo lifted as of Friday, March 7, more than $50,000 has been bet on the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score so far — a figure that is expected to soar across prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi between now and its release (betting on the film closes on March 17).
Before betting on its Rotten Tomatoes score yourself, here’s what you need to know about the film.
What is ‘Novocaine’?
Novocaine is an American action thriller film directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen. Its screenplay was written by Lars Jacobson and is distributed by Paramount Pictures.
When the girl of his dreams (Amber Midthunder) is kidnapped, everyman Nate (Jack Quaid) turns his inability to feel pain into an unexpected strength in his fight to get her back.
As the synopsis mentions, the main character lives with the rare disorder, congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP). Essentially, he can’t feel pain and has to go on an adventure to save his girlfriend.
The film was shot in South Africa in 2024, and the cast features Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, Ray Nicholson, Jacob Batalon, Betty Gabriel, and Matt Walsh. Both Jack Quaid and Ray Nicholson are children of famous duos – Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan and Jack Nicholson and Rebecca Broussard, respectively.
Critical reception of Dan Berk and Robert Olsen movies
When deciding if a film will perform well on Rotten Tomatoes, it can be useful to take a look at the director’s track record.
Movie | Rotten Tomatoes Score |
Significant Other (2022) | 72% |
Villains (2019) | 84% |
The Stakelander (2016) | 80% |
Body (2015) | 39% |
The duo have directed all of their movies together. Their first attempt did not land well with a Rotten score of 39% for Body, but it seems they improved afterward. Their next movies were all received relatively well, with Villains getting a Certified Fresh score.
Jack Quaid has been in projects that received mostly positive Rotten Tomatoes scores. Out of 11 projects, only two received Rotten scores. Impressively, eight of them received Certified Fresh scores. Perhaps, Quaid chose another high-quality project.
Early reviews of ‘Novocaine’
The review embargo for Novocaine will be lifted on March 8 at 2 pm Eastern, and the social embargo has already been lifted. The social reviews are what likely raised the forecasted score on Kalshi from the low 60s to the 70s.
Novocaine:
— Embargo lifts on… (@EmbargoLiftsOn) March 5, 2025
• Social embargo 👉🏻 Lifted
• Review embargo 👉🏻 March 8 at 9am PT / 12pm ET
• Release date 👉🏻 March 14 (US) pic.twitter.com/PdToCIapUZ
Film critic Denny O’Leary enjoyed the movie and praised Quaid for being the “most likable dude in Hollywood right now, and he makes this bats***-crazy premise an absolute riot to watch.”
On the other hand, film enthusiast Twitter account Reel Critiques called it “a mediocre action movie that surprises with brutal and grotesque violence, but disappoints with a cartoony and over the top story.” This review may be negative but still has positive aspects to it.
#Novocaine is a mediocre action movie that surprises with brutal and grotesque violence, but disappoints with a cartoony and over the top story. Jack Quaid is as charming as ever and Amber Midthunder will steal your heart. Unfortunately, Jacob Batalon seems to be typecast,… pic.twitter.com/G8TDfKRxtG
— Reel Critques 🎥🎞️ (@TheReelCritique) March 6, 2025
Quaid’s character may not feel pain, but critics and bettors alike might end up feeling plenty if their predictions miss the mark when Novocaine hits theaters on March 14.
Read more: Rotten Tomatoes betting tips
