Emergency Review: Fruitvale Station Meets Superbad In This Tense Indie
Writer K.D. Dávila (Salvation) almost had something special with the script for Emergency. The film, directed Carey Williams (Cherry Waves), has a solid backbone in RJ Cyler's performance (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), but when it comes to less established actors like Donald Elise Watkins (The Free State of Jones), the tone of the film becomes imbalanced. As a dark college comedy with racial themes, Emergency would have soared. But as a film mostly about young Black men dealing with race, it is not necessarily special. That being said, the film is very funny at points and, critically, the dramatic elements of the story begin to coalesce by the end.
When Sean (Cyler) and Kunle (Watkins) prepare for their last night of college partying, an unwelcome surprise awaits them both at home. They approach their porch and notice the door is already open. Inside is a half-naked and drunk white girl who is totally incapacitated. Kunle wants to call the cops and Sean implores him to remember they are Black men and this looks bad. Ultimately, they decide to put the partying on hold and drive her to the hospital. She finally wakes up in the car and begins attacking them, thinking she has been kidnapped. Once Sean and Kunle realize the girl's friends are also under the impression she is kidnapped, the pressure is on to clear their names from a crime that doesn’t exist.
Related: Prime Video: Every New Movie & TV Show Coming In May 2022
Emergency lands with an astounding finish. A lot of the film is imperfect, but there is no denying the emotional toll each character goes through at the end. Emergency closes on what might feel like a happy ending. Watkins' character has learned something new about being Black, and his friendship with
Read more on screenrant.com
