Exploring the Western-Inspired Thriller "Normal" with Bob Odenkirk

By   &  Published Apr 20, 2026, 3:48 PM EDT Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Bob Odenkirk's brand-new action film took inspiration from an iconic Western starring Gary Cooper, according to the director.

, in which the actor plays an interim sheriff named Ulysses who discovers shocking secrets about the town he's helping to keep safe. A robbery at a local bank breaks open the widespread corruption and money-laundering scheme that's been bubbling under the surface. Ulysses soon has the entire town fighting against him.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley, director Ben Wheatley admitted that when he read the script for Normal, which was written by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad, he quickly realized how much it was inspired by Westerns, especially Cooper's High Noon. The iconic 1952 Western focuses on a sheriff who faces off against a gang that includes a criminal he previously put behind bars.

In his head, Wheatley thought of the story's premise as being like an inverted version of High Noon, and he pondered how he could incorporate those elements while overseeing the production of Normal. Check out his comments below:

"Evolve the genre. That's very grand, isn't it? It's more that when I read the script, I saw the Western elements in it. It wasn't that I was going to bring anything to it specifically like that. I was very excited about it. In my own internal elevator pitch, it was like inverted High Noon. It was a High Noon where, instead of the sheriff against the bad guys, it was the sheriff against the whole town, who turned out to be all a**holes. So that was very exciting to me."

Before production got underway, Wheatley did a lot of research by watching several movies, including Bad Day of Black Rock, Fargo, Hard Boiled, Evil Dead II, and even some Warner Bros. cartoons. There's a "large swatch of different kinds of references" in Normal, according to Wheatley.

"I think I watched a lot of movies around it as research for it. And it's a broad spectrum from more serious stuff like Bad Day of Black Rock through the Coen's Fargo, but then out the other side into kind of John Woo, Hard Boiled, Warner Brothers cartoons and Evil Dead II and all those kind of things. It's a large swath of different kinds of references."

Normal, which was just released on April 17, debuted at No. 7 on opening weekend with $2.6 million, behind The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Project Hail Mary, Lee Cronin's The Mummy, The Drama, You, Me & Tuscany, and Hoppers.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film is Certified Fresh with a score of 76% (and an audience score of 76%), matching the rating for Odenkirk's previous film, Nobody 2.

grisly but fun with plenty of twists, and compared the filmmaking style to the Coen Brothers. Odenkirk's performance as Sheriff Ulysses has also been praised as one of the highlights of the film.

Before that, included The Post, Incredibles 2, and Nobody. On the small screen, Odenkirk is best known for playing Saul Goodman on the hit AMC dramas Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, which earned him several nominations and awards at the Emmys, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Critics' Choice Awards.

Subscribe to our newsletter for deeper film insight

Want deeper context on films like Normal? Subscribe to our newsletter for behind-the-scenes analysis of influences, directorial choices, cast performances and genre comparisons—essential reading for movie fans seeking richer understanding. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our and . You can unsubscribe anytime.

Now Odenkirk is back on the big screen in the crime thriller Normal, which also stars Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Reena Jolly, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Peter Shinkoda, and Jess McLeod.

7.5/10 7/10 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed R Release Date April 17, 2026 Runtime 90 minutes Director Ben Wheatley Writers Derek Kolstad, Producers , Derek Kolstad 8 Images Close

Cast

• Ulysses
• Henry Winkler Mayor

Main Genre Executive Producer(s) Josh Adler, Rhonda Baker, Matthew J. Anderson, Glenn D. Feig, Elan Gale, Kevin Park, Molly C. Quinn, Andrew C. Robinson, Ellen Rutter, Jared Underwood, Matthew M. Welty, Amanda Williams, Carrie Wilkins, Daniel Williams Studio(s) WME Independent Expand Collapse

Follow Followed Like Share Close Trending Now