Nobody, the action thriller starring Bob Odenkirk, cemented its bus fight scene as an absolute landmark of the genre in the 2020s. Released a few years before 2026, the film leveraged Odenkirk’s fame as lawyer Saul Goodman to create a brilliant twist: turning an ordinary man into a combat machine. The sequence, which occurs in the first act of the plot, is celebrated not only for its brutal choreography but for the emotional depth it gives the protagonist Hutch Mansell. In this way, it became a mandatory reference point for any action fan, redefining expectations with its raw realism and visceral narrative.
The relevance of this scene in 2026 remains high, as it represents a turning point in how violence is portrayed in cinema. While franchises like John Wick opt for a highly choreographed style, the fight in Nobody values improvisation, exhaustion, and pain. The protagonist, played by Bob Odenkirk, is not an invincible superhero, but a rusty man who rediscovers his identity through chaotic conflict. Therefore, the film’s legacy remains alive, inspiring discussions about the evolution of action sequences and serving as a powerful counterpoint to more stylized blockbusters.
What makes this fight scene so special?
The great strength of the bus sequence is its psychological construction. The narrative does not present Hutch as a hero from the start, but as a seemingly ordinary family man, frustrated by a banal robbery. However, the loss of his daughter’s bracelet works as the trigger to release a dormant beast. When a group of drunk men begins to harass a female passenger, Hutch finds the perfect excuse his subconscious was craving. The choreography, then deliberately clumsy and exhausting, shows a man fighting with whatever is at hand, from a knife to a purse strap, in a claustrophobic space that amplifies every impact.
Furthermore, the climax of the scene surprises by swapping gratuitous brutality for an unexpected act of mercy. After neutralizing his opponents, Hutch performs an emergency tracheotomy on one of the aggressors, using a straw. This moment of grotesque tenderness completely redefines the character, showing that violence for him is not an end, but a means to protect something. In other words, the scene is more about revelation than brawling, a nuance that made it memorable. In this way, it manages to move and shock in equal measure, a rare feat in the genre.
The success of this sequence reverberated, influencing the discussion about what constitutes a great action scene in the following years, including in 2026. Odenkirk’s performance, who underwent rigorous physical training, proved that action leads don’t need to be traditional athletes, but rather actors capable of conveying internal conflict. Therefore, even a few years after its release, “Nobody” and its bus duel remain a prime example of how to tell a story of redemption through combat, surpassing mere spectacle to deliver something truly cathartic.
