“Novocaine” is now in theaters, and its entire premise hinges on the idea that its hero simply cannot feel pain. Naturally, it begs the question: Is his genetic condition real?
Directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, “Novocaine” centers on Nathan Caine (Jack Quaid), an assistant manager at a bank who physically cannot feel pain. Why? He has a genetic condition known as Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (CIP), which he was born with.
As a result, he has largely lived life in a bubble, even going so far as to put tennis balls on the corner of his desk so he doesn’t bump into them and unknowingly injure himself seriously. He’s avoided solid foods, because he could unknowingly bite off a piece of his tongue. He always leaves at least a car’s length of space in front of him while driving.
But when the girl he’s fallen hard for gets taken hostage during a bank robbery, Nathan sets out to rescue her, no matter what kind of physical dangers he faces on the way that could kill him without him ever feeling it.
It makes for an entertaining premise for a film, no matter how unbelievable it sounds. But you should actually believe this one.
Is CIP real?
Yes, CIP is indeed an actual condition that people can be born with. It is incredibly rare, but it’s real, and those who have it cannot perceive pain. According to the NIH, the exact proportion of people in the world with the condition is unknown.
In “Novocaine,” Nathan mentions that, when his parents found out the average lifespan for those with CIP, they effectively bubble-wrapped him from life. Indeed, those born with CIP often die in childhood, due to injuries or illnesses going unnoticed and untreated.
There is no cure for the condition at this point, though studies have found that the opioid blocker naloxone can help reverse insensitivity to pain in those affected.
“Novocaine” is now in theaters.
