Parents' Guide to

Novocaine

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

This dark, stylish tale isn't for kids.

Movie R 2001 95 minutes
Novocaine Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 1 parent review

jcmcdowell
jcmcdowell Adult
May 12, 2023
age 16+

Good, but not as bad as the review makes it seem.

This movie is about cheating, leading double lives, and drugs. There is some violence, but the review puts a little too much emphasis on the amount of violence there is. There isn’t too much graphic violence, as well as the language not being as constant. Language includes a few uses of “f--k” and “s--t” at the worst, but not too many. However, there is a little more sex than the review lets on. However, there is a lot about drugs, with there being a character who is a drug dealer, as well as a character who takes drugs and smokes, and lots of talk of narcotics. There are two sex scenes, both of which the main character, who is a dentist, cheats on his fiancée, and he constantly gets himself into pickles out of which he constantly has to figure out. He then gets framed for the disappearance of the narcotics from the dentist office, as well as for murder, and has to find out who made him the scapegoat. The climax is the most intense part of the film, but helps give the culprit what they deserve. This is a film that is okay for people ages 16 and up. This movie may deal with heavy themes, but 18 and up is too high for this film.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

This dark and stylish tale of lies, cheating, extortion, incest, betrayal, and murder centers on dentist Frank Sangster (Steve Martin). Frank has a successful dental practice that is operated with efficient precision by his fiancée, Jean Noble (Laura Dern), yet he is vaguely unsatisfied. When beautiful patient Susan Ivy (Helena Bonham Carter) asks for narcotic pain medication, Frank knows it is wrong, but he is drawn to Susan, almost intoxicated by her. He prescribes 5 pills, his first small departure from a life of conventional propriety. Then the pharmacist calls to ask about the prescription, which Susan altered to say 50 pills. Against his better judgment, Frank approves the pill count. Susan comes to see him in the office after hours. He knows he should not perform dental work without staff around, but he agrees. They end up having sex. Every time he breaks the rules he ends up getting in deeper trying to cover up Susan's violations and his own, becoming more enmeshed and more trapped in his lies.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

This movie's shocking plot twists keep surprises coming until the very end. "Average man caught in a spiral of deceit" movies are really about the loss of control; in NOVOCAINE, Frank's world at first appears as exact and precisely regulated as his dental office. Although he tells us in a voiceover that everything is the way he wants it, we see hints almost immediately that he finds it sterile and unsatisfying. Even before he meets Susan, we see hints of his tolerance for – and interest in – a less controlled life. As we see Frank fall under Susan's spell, it appears that Frank feels suffocated by his success and is intrigued by those who chose another path.

This movie is a throwback to classics of the "film noir" genre, with a seductive but mysterious woman in distress drawing the law-abiding hero into a web of corruption. Instead of rain-soaked streets on moonless nights, though, this film is set in the white, sun-lit environment of a California dentist. Director David Atkins and stars Martin, Dern, Koteas, and Bonham Carter make good use of the contrast between the bright, sterile setting and the dark desires of the characters.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how people can feel suffocated by doing everything "right." Why was Frank so fascinated by Susan? Why did he put up with Harlan? What did he really think of Jean? Why was it so hard for him to understand what he wanted? What do you think the author was trying to tell us with the names of the characters, like Jean Noble and Susan Ivy and Frank?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate