Normal

The first time we saw the name Ben Wheatley – a British director born in 1972 – in the opening credits was over ten years ago. The film was called "Sightseers", which refers to tourists. The Italian title "Killer in viaggio" immediately gave away the plot, spoiling the surprise (these are crimes that will be punished, sooner or later: along with the fact that the film isn’t available to stream). Let us turn instead to “Normal” before it disappears from cinemas. Normal, Minnesota, is the small town where Bob Odenkirk (the actor from “Better Call Saul”, the spin-off of “Breaking Bad”) arrives. He is a deputy sheriff, his name is Ulysses, and he expects the role to be quiet. It is—until a bank robbery goes wrong. But this reveals a secret that had been well kept until then. In the vault, there are piles of gold bars. Far too many for a small town that seems to revolve around the local pub and sends its teenagers to prison. The situation echoes an old Don Siegel film starring Walter Matthau, Who’ll Kill Charlie Warrick?: in the small-town bank—an easy target for a robbery—lies the mafia’s money. Here, it is the yakuza’s money, as shown in the opening scene where a member is dealing with a cut to his little finger. The revelation, for the honest sheriff seeking a quiet post, will be devastating. Thankfully, the police station is equipped with a substantial arsenal—one that seems oversized for such a peaceful town. Odenkirk delivers an impassive, brilliant performance, displaying patience as he sets out to clean up the town.