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Bob Odenkirk is back in action in new movie Normal, but the internet has noticed some similarities between the film and a British 00s classic.
Normal sees Odenkirk play Ulysses, a temporary sheriff who uncovers the dark conspiracy underpinning a small town in Minnesota after a violent bank robbery. Based on the movie's new trailer, though, several people on the internet have drawn comparisons to the same movie: Edgar Wright's action-comedy Hot Fuzz. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, though.
In the teaser, which you can watch above, a cheerful voiceover says, "Welcome to Normal, Minnesota, a charming, unassuming town where time moves slow and a friendly face is always just around the corner. You'll never be far from our local mayor, dedicated deputy sheriff, a friendly mailman, cheerful store owners, cozy eateries. Oh, and our town moose."
But, as you might have guessed, everything is not quite as it seems. "Life in Normal is quiet, peaceful, predictable. Until it isn't." Cue gunfire, broken glass, and a knife fight.
"Why are they shooting at you?" a woman asks. "I'm at a loss," Ulysses admits, before we see further shots of gunfire, explosions, and someone getting stabbed in the eye. Ouch.
"i’m so happy Bob Odenkirk is inexplicably becoming an action star but also this is just Hot Fuzz," pointed out one Twitter user.
"Hot Fuzz but he finds out in act one is a great premise," another replied. "Yea and bugs life is just seven samuri, if the movie tells the story with a new point of view or direction it's fine tbh," said someone else.
Directed by Ben Wheatley, the movie was written by John Wick screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who also previously penned the Odenkirk actioner Nobody, and the supporting cast includes Henry Winkler and Lena Headey.
Normal will arrive in theaters on April 17, 2026. In the meantime, get up to speed with the rest of next year's movie release dates.
