In Normal, Bob Odenkirk plays a normal man with the normal name of Ulysses Richardson. He has a normal American job as a police sheriff. His newest posting is in the normal state of Minnesota, specifically in the normal small town literally called Normal. It has all the usual normal trademarks you'd expect from a place that's a bit behind the times: hardware stores, soda and ice cream parlors, and the local bar that everyone frequents. Everyone goes about their normal lives with a smile, always ready to lend a helping hand to their neighbors. This is a place where the leading cause of death is boredom.

Except, when looking just a smidge underneath the surface, a lot of stuff within Normal feels a little… abnormal. A few of the shops have CB radios and police scanners, almost as if they're policing the police. The police station armory is way overstocked with military-grade equipment: C4, light machine guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition. That local bar is decorated head-to-toe with firearms, and the owner can't totally remember if they're loaded or not. And the town recently met its fundraising goal of $16.8 million, a sum that, by simple math, implies each member of the ~1500-person population chipped in just over $10,000.

Ulysses was specifically hired for his weary, half-defeated attitude towards life. He's carrying heavy baggage from his previous positions, and is just hoping for a quiet gig to help rehabilitate his confidence. This is not a new role for Odenkirk in his current twilight renaissance, which began with his introduction as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and reached new heights when his character became the main star of Better Call Saul. Since the conclusion of those shows, he’s become an unlikely action star with the Nobody films, where he plays the titular man who struggles to balance his suburban home life while trying to put his past of crime behind him.

Derek Kolstad was the screenwriter for the two Nobody films, and he’s also the writer here. He created the John Wick series, so he’s got a knack for crafting stories about troubled men who must reluctantly unleash their hidden violence once they’re plugged into impossible situations. Ulysses gets thrown into the fire once he discovers that the $16.8 million in the town bank vault actually belongs to the Yakuza. The town gets a small percentage of the dirty money for hiding it away. They’ve sold their souls for cash, led by Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler) and the rest of the old guard. Now that Ulysses knows their secret, he can’t be allowed to leave the town alive.

Much of the humor in this action-comedy comes from relishing in the Minnesota stereotypes. The previous mayor died from going ice fishing when it was too cold, and his memorial service featured a potluck dinner. The cold opening (pun intended) introduces us to the Yakuza, with two of its lowly members’ punishments being that they’re posted in Normal to guard the money. Their pleas to be spared hurt my feelings as a Minnesota citizen, but I also can’t fully disagree as I look at the weather forecast and see that we could expect snow in mid-April.

After a certain amount of time, everything starts to feel a little pedestrian. Ben Wheatley’s direction is competently done, yet never unlocks that next level. A snowstorm barrels over the town once the shootout begins, blanketing each scene in constant flurries. Luckily, it’s the kind of fake snow that isn’t wet, so it’ll be easy to shovel the next day. Many of the citizens also meet their end through comedically gruesome coincidences, but they’re never as funny as the movie thinks they are, just like how the supporting cast isn’t that colorful either. Then again, you’re not going to find much color in a Minnesota winter, so it’s best to be grateful for any amount that comes your way.

Magnolia Pictures will release Normal in theaters nationwide on April 17th.