Normal

It doesn’t take long to reveal the ironic nature of the title in Normal, which is set in a snowy Minnesota town by the same name that’s anything but, well, normal.

Bob Odenkirk continues his Liam Neeson action-hero trajectory with this amusing if somewhat generic ultraviolent thriller from British director Ben Wheatley (Free Fire), which coasts on some moderately compelling twists and stylish western-infused set pieces.

Odenkirk stars as Ulysses, a veteran lawman looking to restart his career after a haunting incident from his past. He arrives in wintry Normal, which embodies the quaintness of rural Americana — the last place you’d expect to be the center of a global crime conspiracy.

He’s been hired for a two-month stint as a substitute sheriff following the mysterious death of his predecessor. “My goal is to leave this town just the way I found it,” he explains in one of many unanswered voice messages to his estranged wife that serve as the film’s narration.

It should be a low-stress gig moderating some trivial disputes among quirky locals, yet Ulysses uncovers some disturbing secrets that strip away much of the charm.

Among those he meets are the eccentric mayor (Henry Winkler), a feisty bartender (Lena Headey), the dead sheriff’s outspoken daughter (Jess McLeod), and two eager deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy MacLellan) whose loyalties are strangely torn.

That becomes clear during an ill-timed bank robbery, during which the perpetrators (Brendan Fletcher and Reena Jolly) become unlikely allies. From there, the film unspools a twisted scheme of greed and corruption that makes Normal inhospitable for outsiders unwilling to become complicit for a price.

Wheatley brings visual flair to the confrontations between the unlikeliest of combatants — keeping the pace lively even if it starts to feel like, um, overkill. Meanwhile, Odenkirk (Nobody) finds another agreeable outlet for his deadpan delivery and disarming tenacity as a man seeking a fresh start and an easy paycheck but finding neither.

The screenplay by Derek Kolstad (John Wick) relies on more conventional cat-and-mouse elements in the second half, and the socioeconomic subtext never gains meaningful traction.

However, giving off Fargo vibes in more than just the setting, Normal remains an enjoyable diversion off the beaten genre path.

Rated R, 91 minutes.