Why Nobody 2 is a Complete Train Wreck. This past week, my Guy Movie Night group and I went to see Nobody 2. To be clear, the only movies we go and see are movies “where stuff blows up.” Our requirements for the kind of movie we go and see are painfully low. But even for our low bar standards, this movie was rehashed Hollywood pablum at its worst.
Writing. The lack of Hollywood writing is to blame for these sorts of rehashes. Take your original idea, send them to a new location, and hit play. That’s it. Nobody (2021), the original, was interesting in that it attempted to say something about male/husband expectation and ennui. I mean, I am being a little generous here, but there were moments that spoke to me and resonated. But Nobody 2? It more reminded me of an A-Teams episode than a modern John Wick analog.
The biggest glaring issue with Nobody 2 is how closely it mirrors its predecessor—plot beats, tone, even setup. It’s being widely panned for how the film opens exactly the same way: Hutch Mansell bruised in an interrogation room, owning he’s a “nobody,” and then falling into violent chaos. The events follow nearly identical trajectory—Hutch accidentally crosses the wrong people, faces off in a final showdown in a booby-trapped locale (See? the A-Team!!), and the sequel recycles homages to memorable sequences like a bus fight that now plays out on a boat. It’s not just derivative—it actively undercuts the originality that made the first film feel fresh. In short, Nobody 2 isn’t just familiar—it’s a pale echo, offering little new.
A Missing Spark: Where’s the Surprise?
The original Nobody delighted audiences by casting Bob Odenkirk—known for his comedic roles—in a brutal, John Wick–style action hero role. That shock factor has evaporated in Nobody 2. Critics repeatedly point out there’s no more surprise—and no compelling fresh angle to replace it.
Many reviews criticize the screenplay as lazy and lackluster. Despite a promising premise—a family trip gone deadly—the execution lacks depth. The script doesn’t develop its themes or characters; emotional stakes feel fake and hollow. Several critics call it “watered‑down,” “underdeveloped,” or simply too lazy to reach its full potential.
Odenkirk’s charm alone can’t rescue a story that doesn’t care about substance or growth.
A Villain That’s All Madness and No Real Threat
Sharon Stone shows up as a psychotic crime boss. Who in the casting department came up with this plan? Sharon Stone as your Mad Hatter Bad Guy? And was she aiming for camp in her performance? No idea… but what she ends up being is a distraction. Many are saying that her performance was so totally over‑the‑top, and so completely inconsistent, as to distract from everything else going on.
Tone-Deaf Execution: Hollow Violent Set Pieces
I will say that the action is flashy – and much of the fighting forgives much of the lameness of the rest of the movie. Director Timo Tjahjanto does offer creative choreography and the occasional laugh. But critics note this stylized violence often feels hollow—not because it’s poorly done, but because it lacks emotional grounding. It’s action for action’s sake.
Let me say it again, without a clever story to support it, the entirety of this movie feels empty.
I read on Reddit that this movie feels like “National Lampoon…mass murderer” and that is the perfect summation of this mismatched movie. Tonally, this movie is Clark Griswald meets John Wick?? It’s as if the National Lampoon’s Vacation’s trip to Wally World was blendered with assassin’s central. Wait what? The movie finds itself set in a generic carnivalesque amusement park in order to relive the only happiness their father had as a child growing up. It all just feels like an attempt to explain away the chintzy sets, and the attempt at keeping production costs down.
How I Would Have Written Nobody 2
Nobody 2 strains all credulity. Wait, they went on a vacation and find a new pile of villains controlling the area? And Hutch accidentally offends them all… yet again? It’s just asking the audience to suspend disbelief way too much. Yes, I get it you want to redo the last movie… but you could have at least given it an ounce of thought before green-lighting the exact same script all over again.
What if, instead of Hutch accidentally picking a fight with new villains, the story could have focused on his reputation catching up to him. Imagine rival hit-men or agencies uncovering that this supposedly invisible “nobody” is actually the government’s most lethal ghost and it puts his family at risk. So instead of accidentally offending everyone, he spends the movie trying to keep his family out of trouble instead of dragging them all into it. It’s a simple change, but we now have emotional stakes, more depth to the story, and something that actually made more sense to the audience as a sequel. Oh, and also don’t cast Sharon Stone as your maniacal bad guy.
But it isn’t all loss. Nobody 2 has achieved my meritorious distinction of being the worst movie I’ve seen this year! The Raspberry Awards here should be a real cornucopia of fun.
Edited by: CY
