HBO Max's action-comedy Normal has topped the streamer's charts, marking Bob Odenkirk's latest turn as an unlikely action star following his breakout in Nobody. Written by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad and directed by Ben Wheatley, the film blends the pulpy, gory violence of the John Wick franchise with the small-town satire and dark humour of Fargo, and its success suggests audiences remain keen on Odenkirk's unexpected reinvention as a lawman battling corruption.

Odenkirk plays Ulysses, a newly appointed sheriff in the sleepy town of Normal, Minnesota, who grows suspicious of secretive mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler) after a bank robbery unravels into a wider cover-up. His character is written as a lonely, veteran officer posted somewhere remote precisely because he seems unlikely to cause trouble, but his diligence exposes the town's hidden ties to international smuggling networks. Critics note the film echoes Kolstad's earlier work by carefully doling out clues about a larger criminal underworld, building intrigue much as the Continental hotel did in John Wick and Ulysses's mysterious past did in Nobody.