Bob Odenkirk's Normal Just Hit #1 on HBO Max — The John Wick-Style Action Comedy You Missed in Theaters

Bob Odenkirk Is Doing It Again on HBO Max

If Nobody taught you that Bob Odenkirk could carry an action movie, Normal is here to remind you — and then some. The Ben Wheatley-directed action comedy, which fans of Better Call Saul will devour, quietly flopped in theaters but has just climbed to the #1 spot on HBO Max chart, proving that streaming audiences know a good thing when they see it.

In Normal, Odenkirk plays another seemingly ordinary guy with a very particular set of skills — a formula that worked for Nobody and its sequel, but here gets a darker, more comedic spin. Written by Derek Kolstad (the creator of the John Wick franchise), the film follows a mild-mannered accountant who gets pulled into a criminal underworld when a routine job goes sideways.

From Theatrical Bomb to Streaming Champion

The film’s theatrical run was underwhelming. Released by Universal Pictures earlier in 2026, Normal opened to soft numbers and was quickly overshadowed by bigger releases. Critics were divided — some praised its gleeful violence and Odenkirk’s deadpan charm, while others felt it too closely mirrored the Nobody playbook.

But on HBO Max, the film has found its people. The movie climbed to the top of the platform’s charts within days of its streaming debut, with viewers discovering what theatrical audiences apparently missed: this is a fun movie. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel — it’s trying to make you laugh while Bob Odenkirk kicks people through walls. Mission accomplished.

Why Bob Odenkirk Keeps Winning

At 64, Bob Odenkirk has become one of Hollywood’s most unlikely action stars. His journey from comedy writer (Mr. Show) to dramatic powerhouse (Better Call Saul) to action hero (Nobody) is one of the most remarkable career pivots in modern entertainment. Normal leans into all three of those strengths — the comedy timing, the dramatic weight, and the surprising physicality.

Director Ben Wheatley brings a chaotic energy to the action sequences that sets Normal apart from similar films. Where John Wick is elegant and choreographed, Normal is messy, improvised, and frequently hilarious. It’s the kind of movie that plays better at home with friends than it does in a half-empty theater on a Tuesday night.

If you’ve got HBO Max, give Normal a spin. Bob Odenkirk earned it.