If the last decade has proven anything, it’s that there’s nothing Bob Odenkirk can’t do. After years of being a successful sketch comedy writer and performer, Odenkirk found unforeseen dramatic success as Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill in Breaking Bad and its spin-off, Better Call Saul, which garnered mass critical acclaim for his performance as the crooked Albuquerque criminal lawyer. Since his breakthrough on prestige television, Odenkirk has transitioned to being an action star in the Nobody film series, written by John Wick creator Derek Kolstad, who has now drafted a brand-new script for the star in Normal, a film described by its director, Ben Wheatley, as “inverted High Noon.”

Normal follows a provisional sheriff, Ulysses (Odenkirk), taking on the duties of protecting the titular small town in Midwestern America following grave injuries in the line of duty. After a botched robbery in the town, its dark secrets are unveiled, causing the people and Ulysses’ fellow deputies to turn on him and seek violent retribution. Compared to the apathy of the townspeople in the classic Gary Cooper Western, the people of Normal are all outlaws.

“You’ve got this small town, which I love, Lake Wobegon. It’s the middle of nowhere. There are quirky people. They tolerate each other, they support each other, they feel connected, and they’re sort of part of a family, but then there’s a dark side to this, too, which is that they have a pact. How far are they willing to go to protect that pact? And that lie? Or the contract that they share? In this case, they don’t know how to turn away from this contract, and they take on and destroy anyone who uncovers it.”

Based on a script by Kolstad and Odenkirk, this guns-blazing shoot-em-up is a perfect fit for Wheatley’s lurid genre sensibilities. The film also stars Lena Headey and Henry Winkler.

Odenkirk, Kolstad, and Wheatley took the film to this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where they stopped by Collider’s Media Studio at the Cinema Center and spoke with Steve Weintraub about their new bloody genre movie. When it comes to making action movies, Odenkirk doesn’t feel like an “interloper” or “dilettante,” and he hopes he has earned his stripes as an action star.

“When I get to do something unique and new, I’m always feeling a little like, “Am I out of place here?” So, it means a lot to me that people who like action like what I’m doing and think I’m doing justice to it…That’s what I’m aiming for. It’s a feeling of responsibility. I respect that people love and care about this voice in cinema, and I’m not trying to just lift it or steal it. I’m trying to fit in their paradigm, their judgments.”

It’s no gimmick. Odenkirk is utterly convincing when firing a gun or engaging in combat.

Check out the full conversation in the video above, with a time index below where they discuss noir influences, crafting kill sequences, Odenkirk’s transition to action filmmaking, bringing vulnerability to characters amid moments of duress and pain, and Odenkirk’s latest adventures with David Cross.

• 01:02 – Odenkirk on what makes Normal anything but a normal movie-going experience.
• 02:11 – What about this neo-Western appealed most to Wheatley as a filmmaker?
• 03:03 – Odenkirk on sharing a writing credit on Normal
• 04:35 – The team talks about creating characters audiences care about.
• 07:32 – Kolstad breaks down the designs for elaborate kill sequences
• 09:10 – What director’s work is most recalled in Normal?
• 11:10 – What is it like for Odenkirk to be considered an action star?
• 15:50 – Odenkirk discusses the unique quality he brings to action movies.
• 18:14 – Kolstad discusses what he has in the works.
• 20:06 – Odenkirk discusses details on his mountain-scaling documentary with David Cross.
• 22:40 – What does Wheatley have coming up?
• 23:12 – Get to know the Normal crew, from favorite music to food and movies.

Normal has not set an official release date. Check out Collider for more from TIFF 2025!

And special thanks to the partners Roxstar Entertainment and its Campari Cinema Center and Campari, who featured their signature festival red-carpet drinks, including the Campari Negroni and Campari Spritz. Also host venue, Discreta Toronto, and Oscar-winning visual effects (VFX) company, Rodeo FX as well as Lavazza Coffee, Vellamo mineral water, Santa Carolina’s Reserva Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, La Vieille Ferme Rosé and La Vieille Ferme Reserve Brut Sparkling, Peroni beer, and food catering by Miss Ivy Toronto @Cinemactr.