Trailer for the Action Film NORMAL Pits Bob Odenkirk Against a Town That Wants Him Dead
Magnolia Pictures has released the first teaser trailer for Normal, a gritty action thriller that takes the idea of an average guy pushed too far and cranks it up to a dangerous breaking point.
The film stars Bob Odenkirk as a small town sheriff who walks into a situation that’s anything but normal, and judging by this first look, things get nasty fast.
The film comes from director Ben Wheatley, who recently delivered Meg 2: The Trench and has built a reputation for unpredictable genre filmmaking. This time, he’s teaming up with Derek Kolstad, the writer behind John Wick and Nobody, and that DNA is all over the teaser.
This feels like a rough and tumble blend of Fargo chaos and Nobody style vengeance, only meaner and more unhinged.
Odenkirk plays Sheriff Ulysses, a lawman who arrives in a quiet Midwestern town looking for a fresh start. What he finds instead is corruption, violence, and a community ready to turn on him the second things go sideways.
The official synopsis reads: “For Sheriff Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk), his provisional posting to the quaint Midwestern American town of Normal was meant to be a welcome respite from both his marital woes and recent moral injuries in the line of duty.
“But when a botched bank robbery interrupts the municipality’s tranquil pace, a sordid secret is inadvertently exposed and Ulysses learns the town is anything but its namesake. Suddenly everyone is trying to shoot the sheriff, even his own deputies, and our put-upon policeman must rely on his affable mettle and some motley crooks if he is to survive the night. (That's all before the Yakuza show up).”
That setup alone makes it clear this story isn’t about a super soldier or an unstoppable assassin. It’s about a guy who refuses to roll over when the town decides he’s expendable. Odenkirk is awesome in these roles, mixing weary humor with sudden bursts of brutal violence, and Normal looks like it’s leaning hard into that sweet spot.
The supporting cast includes Lena Heady, Henry Winkler, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Reena Jolly, Peter Shinkoda, and Jess McLeod.
Normal is written by Kolstad and Odenkirk, and produced by Marc Provissiero, Kolstad, and Odenkirk himself. Wheatley’s long list of past films includes Kill List, Sightseers, Free Fire, High-Rise, and In the Earth, so expect sharp tonal shifts and moments that get uncomfortably intense.
Magnolia Pictures will release Normal in select theaters starting April 17th, 2026.