Normal: 2026 Bob Odenkirk American Crime Thriller Film Trailer & Review

Movie Name: Normal
Directed by: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Peter Shinkoda, Jess McLeod
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Running Time: 113 Minutes
Release Date: April 17, 2026
Rating:
Languages: English
Production House: OPE Partners, QWGmire, Bonus Productions, Tradecraft Productions, Le Foole Inc
Budget: $- million

Centers on a temporary small-town sheriff who uncovers dark mysteries after a local bank robbery.

Normal: Movie Overview

Normal is a 2025 crime thriller film directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Derek Kolstad, based on a story by Kolstad and Bob Odenkirk. Odenkirk also stars in the film alongside Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Peter Shinkoda, and Jess McLeod.

The film premiered on September 7, 2025 in the Midnight Madness program at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on April 17, 2026, by Magnolia Pictures.

Ulysses comes to the sleepy town of Normal to serve as the temporary sheriff after the passing of the original sheriff. A bank robbery in Normal leads Ulysses to find that a criminal underground reaches throughout the entire town.

The companies that the film was sold to in pre-sales at the EFM included Sky Cinema for the United Kingdom, Amazon MGM Studios for Canada, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand, Metropolitan Filmexport for France and Leonine Studios in Germany.

The film was selected for the Midnight Madness program at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, premiering September 7, 2025. Later that month, Magnolia Pictures acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, scheduling it for a theatrical release in the United States on April 17, 2026 across 2,000 theaters, the company’s widest release to date.

For Deadline, reviewer Pete Hammond writes “Odenkirk rules this roost just as he does in the Nobody movies, but with the firepower Wheatley keeps shooting Normal manages to exceed those action levels if you can believe it.”

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 83% approval rating based on 23 critic reviews.

Movie Trailer:

#OfficialTrailer

#NormalOfficialTrailer

Movie Review:

Bob Odenkirk shines in this entertaining but uneven crime caper

Story:

Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) comes to Normal, Minnesota, to serve as interim sheriff after the town’s former sheriff dies. A botched bank robbery reveals that the humble town is anything but, as a dangerous crime operation comes to the fore and the entire town turns bloodthirsty for the new sheriff.

Review:

A laidback cop seems like the perfect fit for a sleepy town, where emergency calls include an elderly lady complaining about receiving mauve knitting yarn instead of pink, and a man squabbling with a store owner for refusing to sell goods at a 30 per cent discount like online stores. Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler) praises Ulysses for having a ‘light’ touch and offers him the permanent position. But a few days into the job, when Deputy Blaine (Ryan Allen) and Deputy Mike (Billy MacLellan) open fire at him during a bank robbery, a sinister criminal operation involving the Yakuza (Japanese mafia) is revealed. Ulysses is then forced to face an entire town out for his blood, with the robbers, Lori (Reena Jolly) and Keith (Brendan Fletcher), as his aides.

Directed by Ben Wheatley and co-written by Odenkirk, the film is gory, twisted, and goofy all at once. The wintry, snowy setting enhances its darkly comic timbre. The townsfolk are quirky and courteous like residents of any small place, so their turn into a more sinister populace makes for a curious watch. The film works as a good old crime caper and revels in the violence. However, the plot remains rather thin. Everyone dreads the Oyabun (boss) and the syndicate, but they are not nearly as menacing as they are made out to be.

While the first half keeps you hooked, the second half loses steam despite all the action and some fun plot twists. The character development and arcs feel lacking, and the backstories undercooked.

Bob Odenkirk is perfectly cast as a laidback man who wants to avoid confrontation but can show his menacing side when needed, much like his Hutch Mansell in Nobody. Lena Headey, as the sassy bartender Moira, feels underutilised. Henry Winkler, Reena Jolly, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, and Jess McLeod all deliver solid performances as friendly-turned-evil locals.

Despite its patchy writing, the film is a twisted crime caper that makes for a decently entertaining watch.