NEW YORK (CNS) — Clever but morally misguided, “Nobody” (Universal) is a bloody action flick that’s suitable for no one.

When thieves break into his suburban home, mild-mannered accountant Hutch Mansell (Bob Odenkirk) gets the drop on the intruders but fails to follow through on the advantage he’s gained. As a result, his already distant wife, Becca, (Connie Nielsen) seems more disappointed in him than ever and his teen son Blake (Gage Munroe) disdains him as a coward.

Yet, when the aftermath of the incident finds Hutch caught up in an escalating cycle of crime and violence, it turns out that he can more than hold his own. That’s because what his opponents — eventually including Russian mob boss Yulian Kuznetsov (Alexey Serebryakov) — initially fail to realize is that Hutch is, in fact, a highly skilled former military operative trying to live an ordinary life.

Dark humor abounds in director Ilya Naishuller’s ironic film, which also features comedy veteran Christopher Lloyd as Hutch’s dad David, a nursing home resident whose facade is as deceptive as his son’s. And there’s no denying that the ballet of murderous mayhem over which Naishuller presides is well-choreographed.

But, while it makes a few feints in the direction of praising domestic bliss, the real, testosterone-soaked theme of Derek Kolstad’s script is the sheer joy of killing for its own sake. That’s bad news for the innumerable extras who are dispatched in squads to liquidate Hutch — and for the audience as well.

The film contains skewed values, excessive gory violence, gruesome images, drug use, several profanities and frequent rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.   

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Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.

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CAPSULE REVIEW

“Nobody” (Universal)

A mild-mannered suburban family man (Bob Odenkirk) gets caught up in an escalating cycle of crime and violence after thieves break into his house. What his opponents, who eventual include a Russian mob boss (Alexey Serebryakov), initially fail to realize, though, is that he is a highly skilled former military operative trying to live an ordinary life. Dark humor abounds in director Ilya Naishuller’s ironic action flick which also features comedy veteran Christopher Lloyd as the protagonist’s dad. But, while the ballet of murderous mayhem over which Naishuller presides is undeniably well-choreographed, the testosterone-soaked theme of Derek Kolstad’s script is the sheer joy of killing for its own sake. Skewed values, excessive gory violence, gruesome images, drug use, several profanities, frequent rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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CLASSIFICATION

“Nobody” (Universal) — Catholic News Service classification, O — morally offensive. Motion Picture Association rating, R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.