A substitute sheriff and a botched bank robbery disrupt the daily happenings of the small town of Normal, Minnesota. Led by Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler), the town is self-sufficient, great at fundraising, and all its residents stand united on one thing: keeping their secret safe.
Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Bob Odenkirk, the film follows Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk), who acts as the interim sheriff in Normal, MN, after the sitting sheriff’s mysterious death. Two worlds collide as past mistakes lead Ulysses to Normal, while Joe (Peter Shinkoda) lands there to regain favor with the crime syndicate that he recently failed. All is well until the regularly undisturbed town gets shaken after a bank robbery occurs. A crack in the town’s secret is discovered during the robbery, and now that Ulysses is aware, not even his job title will guarantee his safety.
Everything about the film is unusual in the best way. The prologue at the start of the film, the unrelenting violence, and the way the film concludes stand out from the norm. The sheriff’s interactions with Deputies Mike Nelson and Blaine Anderson were similar to those in Police Academy. Humor spanned the spectrum from light and campy to dark and crude. Lori (Reena Jolly) and Keith (Brendan Fletcher) are totally unfit to rob a bank, but their lack of experience and empathetic tendencies make for a hilarious bit. Jolly’s performance was especially impactful.
Running from an impending divorce and a life-shattering mistake on the job, Ulysses arrives in Normal to hopefully discover, you guessed it, a new “normal”. A town where 9-1-1 calls are to report a rude customer or to complain about an Amazon purchase sounds like the perfect place to start fresh.
Lena Headey and Henry Winkler are hilarious. Headey uses a voice I’ve never heard before, which is a good thing. The last several projects I’ve seen her in didn’t distinguish her enough from Cersei Lannister (the iconic queen from Game of Thrones). A regular on One of Us Is Lying, Jess McLeod is another actress who shone bright in the film. In the film, she plays Alex, the daughter of the slain sheriff.
The film plods in some places, but not enough to ruin the experience. The traditional 90-minute runtime works in its favor, as the slow moments are few. The violence is barbaric, and a lot of it is over the top. The manner of some deaths looked intentionally violent for shock value, while others were wildly exaggerated. I’m not a big fan of either.
Normal gets an 8.5 out of 10. The film feels like an excuse for Odenkirk to be a badass, and that’s ok. Magnolia Pictures wins again after I heavily applauded them for supporting the successful Canadian film 40 Acres. Normal is worth seeing in theaters and eventually owning. Yeah, not streaming, owning. Its uniqueness is deserving of such an action.
Normal is in theaters now.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hr 31 minutes
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: April 17, 2026