IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN EMERGENCY, THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW.

Lost in the Reel’s video review for Emergency.

Emergency starts out as a “Wild College Party” movie and turns into something wholly different and far more satisfying by the end. The twists and turns this movie takes and it’s complete 180 in tone might surprise you… But, it makes this film all the more special. This is a message movie that has a whole lot to say about a young black man’s place and perspective in society, but it never feels like you are being hit over the head with what the movie is trying to say.

WHAT IS EMERGENCY ALL ABOUT?

Straight-A college student Kunle and his laid-back best friend, Sean, are about to have the most epic night of their lives. Determined to be the first Black students to complete their school’s frat party legendary tour… The friends strap in for their ultimate assignment, Solo cups in hand. But a quick pit stop at home alters their plans when they find a white girl passed out on the living room floor. Faced with the risks of calling the police under life-threatening optics, Kunle, Sean, and their Latino roommate, Carlos, must find a way to de-escalate the situation before it’s too late.

The friendship here between Sean and Kunle is one of the rawest and authentic depictions of brotherhood I have seen in a movie, in quite a while. Their conflicting life experiences have shaped their worldview and how they deal with situations. But, because of and despite this, their bond is forever stronger.

HOW IS THE CAST?

Donald Elise Watkins plays Kunle in Emergency.

RJ Cyler (who shined in Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl) and Donald Elise Watkins turn in two outstanding performances… That both culminate in a scene that nearly had me moved to tears. I was not expecting to go into this film and have such a powerful emotional connection to any of the characters, but by the end, I fell for these two in such a deep way. The rest of the cast, including their roommate Carlos, played Sebastian Chacon and Sabrina Carpenter who is the drunk girl’s worried-sick sister, are all fantastic… but, this is Cyler and Watkins’ film through and through. And they truly leave a lasting impact.

DOES THE FILM FACE ANY ISSUES?

While Emergency does fall prey to a few pitfalls of adapting a short into a feature film… Mainly a padded runtime with a middle act that sags a bit. The movie is luckily able to get past these shortcomings in its pulse-pounding third act. How does it accomplish that? By putting the pedal to the metal in its pacing, never taking its story to places you would expect, and delivering a touching and poignant finale. 

Emergency is a surprisingly thoughtful film that cements director Carey Williams as an exciting new voice in the industry. And it should prove to be a big hit for Amazon Studios.

Emergency does not have a release date yet.

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