Often, when you take an interim position, it’s a good place to hide. You slide into a position for a fixed period of time, taking over after someone left unexpectedly, and you’re just the placeholder. You’re the person who comes in to provide a body and some stability.

For Ulysses Richardson (Bob Odenkirk) it’s the ideal place to just exist. He was once a sheriff with a good life in a great town. But a tragedy changed the way he looked at the world and the way he viewed himself. So, now, he’s just looking to get by. That’s what made him the perfect choice for interim sheriff in Normal, Minnesota.

The town lost their sheriff, who died of a heart attack while freezing to death. Did he lose his mind? Was something more at play? It seems like strange circumstances, but Ulysses isn’t really the guy to investigate. He’s filling the role for eight weeks before the next election. But his laid-back attitude is a hit with residents, and the Mayor (Henry Winkler), who offers him a shot at the permanent job.

But Ulysses has skeletons in his closet. There’s a reason he’s moved away from any sense of permanent responsibility. Unfortunately, you can’t run forever. While Normal seems like a great place to hang his hat, it’s really harboring some big secrets that threaten to ruin his plans to lay low.

This new action film, Normal, made a debut at festivals in the Fall. Now it gets a wide release for audiences, offering a quirky little tale with some good set pieces and action. It comes from writer Derek Kolstad, who is the man behind John Wick. That should give you a good idea of what kind of secrets are in store.

The film is directed by Ben Wheatley, who has done well with other action fare such as The Meg 2 and Free Fire. He handles the assignment well here. The early parts of the film showcase this sleepy little town, creating mystery. The action sequences are well shot and end up a lot of fun, particularly the big third act collision.

And there to tie it all together is Odenkirk, who worked on the story here with Kolstad. He’s transitioned into a different phase of his movie career where he plays the unexpected action hero. We saw that with his work headlining Nobody. He brings that same energy here, and he’s very fun in this role. I arguably appreciated his disinterested sheriff more in this one. He’s a lot of fun as the anchor of a quirky and fun story.

The supporting cast is fine, too. Winkler, Lena Heady, Ryan Allen, Jess McLeod, and Billy MacLellan all have fun, quirky characters in the world. All of them serve their purpose and help drive the story forward. But this isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey. And the journey here is quite a bit of fun.

I like the early going of this film. I like the establishment of this world and building the tension toward this mystery. The reveal of the mystery works well enough, too. Even if the second half of the film isn’t as interesting, the action is solid and the final act and closing sequence bring it home in a satisfying way.

If you’re a fan of fun, action films, Normal will be the outing for you. This provides a bit of escape and counterprogramming at theaters. The film opens nationwide on Friday, April 17.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.