Emergency (2022) User Reviews (137)

Never solidifies a genre and that hurts it

[jtindahouse · 6/10 · 29 May 2022]

'Emergency' is one of those films where if a single character did the common sense thing the movie would end immediately - or in this case never even begin. It is very frustrating. Every single step along the way is based on a ridiculous decision being made that does nothing other than to service the run time reaching a minimum length.

Putting that aside the film isn't bad. But it does struggle to pick a genre. At first it seems like it is going for the 'Superbad' style of comedy. It kind of gives up on that after the early scenes though and there is barely a laugh found (or attempted) the rest of the way. I think it would've worked better as a comedy. So many of the characters are over-the-top and too unrealistic for any drama to feel natural.

It does remain watchable though and the message it goes for at the end is a decent one. It's not one I'd be going out of my way to recommend however. 6/10.

Worth a watch

[BlockLike · 7/10 · 30 May 2022]

Firstly, the the hate reviews are clearly coming from the anti-woke brigade that clearly don't even understand what woke means if it hit them in the face.

Ok, so on to the film.

I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

Starts off as a college buddy comedy, but not full blown laugh out loud levels.

It's got some good laughs here and there but is quite witty as well.

The film very slowly starts to gives things a more serious feel from about half way through.

By the end it does make a clear social statement, there's no denying that.

However it's a very real and accurate social statement.

People that don't like the truth just hide behind hate reviews and think they're achieving something, when all they're doing is embarrassing themselves.

The film has decent production value and well cast.

Pretty decent performances all round as well.

social commentary wrapped in a buddy comedy

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 19 May 2022]

Greetings again from the darkness. When we discover someone in the midst of a medical emergency, most of us wouldn't hesitate to call 911 for assistance. In this film, developed from their Sundance award-winning 2018 short film, director Carey Williams and writer K. D. Davila remind us things aren't always quite so simple. Two best friends and college students, return home to find a white girl passed out in their living room. Since the two young men are black, and their roommate is Latino, their discussion revolves around how the situation will be viewed by paramedics and law enforcement. It's a terrific premise, and one handled deftly by the filmmakers and cast.

The first act is outstanding as we quickly get a feel for the friendship between Sean (RJ Cyler, "I'm Dying Up Here") and Kunle (Donald Elise Watkins, "The Underground Railroad"). Sean is the fun-loving one who is constantly vaping for effect, but also paranoid and aware. Kunle is the strait-laced son of two African immigrant doctors. Kunle has been accepted to the PhD program at Princeton, while Sean's big plan is ensuring he and Kunle become the first black students at Buchannan to attend that evening's 'Legendary Tour' ... seven invitation-only frat parties held over the course of one night. Kunle wants to hang with his buddy - just as soon as he finishes with his bacteria specimens (his "babies") in the campus laboratory.

The early buddy-comedy banter is spot on, and leads us to make assumptions about the type of movie this will be. It's only after Sean and Kunle stop by the house and discover the girl, that we realize this is a rare buddy-comedy loaded with social commentary. Their gamer-obsessed roommate Carlos (Sebastian Chacon, "Penny Dreadful: City of Angels") joins the mission on how best to handle the situation. Carlos catches grief for his fanny pack, which is always filled with granola bars. Sean enjoys teasing Kunle, calling him an "Oreo" for being too white inside, and we hear Kunle described as "Black excellence". As these three men of color debate the next step - how to provide care to the girl (who has since thrown up on their floor), while also protecting themselves from possibly dangerous racist reactions.

What they don't know is that while they are arguing, the unconscious girl's big sister (Sabrina Carpenter) has rallied two friends to go searching. Rather than improve the situation, racial profiling plays a part at just about every turn. The tone of the film shifts when Emma (Maddie Nichols) wakes up and freaks out at the situation. It becomes a comedy of errors in the mode of ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING (1987), only with fear and risk involved. Two sequences in particular standout: when they stop at Sean's brother's house to borrow a car, and when they do finally encounter the cops. Both scenes present the paranoia and constant uneasiness felt in these situations.

When utilizing comedy to express social commentary, there is a fine line between effective messaging and too-obvious. Both of these occur during the film, but for the most part, Williams and Davila and the cast are superb in making their points without preaching. The commentary on friendship and racism blends well into entertainment, despite the messages never leaving the screen.

In Select Theaters May 20th Available worldwide on Amazon Prime Video May 27th.

7.2/10. Recommended

[athanasiosze · 7/10 · 31 May 2022]

This is a good movie.

At first, you may think it's similar to "SUPERBAD" or "PINEAPPLE EXPRESS".

Then, it's similar to "AFTER HOURS".

In my opinion, the last 30 minutes, where this movie became something different, these minutes are the best of it.

This is not a hilarious movie, if you expect something like that, you will be disappointed. There are some funny moments though.

This is a coming of age comedy/drama, where racial issues are being addressed.

Young actors are very good, the script is clever, it is well directed, but the last 30 minutes are brilliant, and touching. I am a white guy who lives in Europe, i don't get emotional with racial issues, however, the ending make me tear up.

For sure, this is not as good as SUPERBAD or AFTER HOURS, it is a different movie, but it is still interesting and good. If you know what to expect, you will like it too.

An Admirable Film

[tkdlifemagazine · 6/10 · 27 May 2022]

This is an unusual find. I am not even sure what genre the film is in. However, I am sure it is very good and interesting. This film takes a college party night and examines an "emergency" and how it intertwines class, social, and racial issues as well as coming of age issues. The dialogue is smart. The young cast is relatively unknown but they are solid and interesting. The Direction and cinematography are strong. This is very watchable and I found the way this unfolded to be very admirable.

More tension than I anticipated

[arstone-09757 · 7/10 · 7 June 2022]

I thought this might be more comic but it actually seems more of a drama with good comedy writing embedded within the framework.

Really, really good movie though. I would rate this higher but I was turned off by the copycat plot of Superbad wrecking the story for me. That was unnecessary. Literally hundreds of ways to avoid that and it feels like you got walked right into it.

Plus, I find it somewhat lazy writing when a great cast of strong, black actors who can stand on their own story, are forced to walk the plotline of an iconic white movie.

If you can overcome that, however, then you can enjoy this because it really is a punch in the gut. It opens your eyes and gives you a look at college life through the lens of young black men.

A Solid Concept and Commentary That Needs a Better Edit

[zackerman24 · 5/10 · 23 January 2022]

At its core, Emergency has an incredibly interesting and important story to tell. However, it fails to deliver a truly engrossing or cinematic experience. Scenes run long and there is a stark lack of music throughout most of the film. It results in a viewing experience that feels like "I'm just watching things happen" rather than watching a specific, artistic creation.

Still, I think there is a strong base to the movie's story, the actors' chemistry, and the characters' relationships. I simply wish there was more personality to the filming. A movie like this would have been much more engaging with a Jordan Peele-like take, honing in on the horror or suspense of the situation. Or perhaps, a stronger lean into the comedy. The actual result is a movie that fails to be very funny when it means to be, and also fails to deliver much suspense when needed.

Satire with thought

[fdhodges · 8/10 · 28 May 2022]

Was it a genius script no but thought provoking YES. The low reviews are people hiding their racism as if there was no meaning to the things that went on in the movie. They are probably people that claim they have "One Black Friend". The movie touched on many cliche yet true stereotypes that black especially young black Americans face. I think every young black American should watch because dealing with law enforcement in certain situations can and have turned deadly. I liked the movie! I have also recommended it.

Really enjoyed it.

[cnwilson-93925 · 1 June 2022]

For someone who is African American, it felt very relatable. Really enjoyed the movie and understood why they did what they did. If you've never been in the shoes of the main characters you would never understand the reasons behind their actions. I would watch it again, great cast!

Why the hate?

[taddykstone · 7/10 · 3 June 2022]

I thought parts of this movie was as funny as it gets. Not everyone gets satire. I'm even a white guy and I get the satire in this movie. You should try it. It's worth the try.

So basically nothing happens

[alanhowden-86367 · 4/10 · 2 June 2022]

Stupid, implausible desicion at the beginning of the film aside there was some potential here. The actors were great, there was a decent sense of tension and I was wondering which way the story was going to go, what terrible thing was going to happen and then.... nothing. In the end everything turns out ok for everyone* which made we question why I had bothered watching this at all.

*apart from the fact the main character is traumatised from having a gun pointed at him by the police and while I agree the way black people are often treated by the police is appalling and agree that this has terrible lasting consequences for individuals and society (which seemed to be the point the film was trying to make). The fact that the character was reported as having kidnapped a girl who was not breathing in his car which had just led the police on a high speed chase means the police weren't at fault here at all, so it seemed a really strange situation to try and make the point with.

Its Good. I know this..

[nealhirschfeld-84628 · 8/10 · 29 May 2022]

Because I watched it and Im smart. But seriously folks...Don't believe the onesies and twosies. They didn't get it. I got it. You will too. Politics aside.

Woke Buddy Comedy

[icocleric · 7/10 · 8 June 2022]

It's definitely a buddy comedy, that gets woke and the characters are really likeable. I think they could have squeezed in a few more laughs, especially since the tone does end up getting very serious.

But I really enjoyed the social commentary. I think it's got a very important message on how you have to think about what you do more when you are black. They were literally just trying to help.

The acting is very well done, and the overall look of the film is very polished and nice. I think it's well worth a watch, and it's an enjoyable watch. But I think it needed that bit extra on the comedy for a rewatch value.

Do Not Believe any hype about this film.

[Anyanwu · 3/10 · 30 May 2022]

I don't care what Rotten Tomatoes or Sundance said. This is not a good movie. It tries to stay within the realm of reality but the decisions made here are just, just not believable within the context of who the characters were supposed to be. This kids are supposed to be in college, I guess. One of them is supposed to be going to Princeton. He's working toward a ph.d. One guy allows one person to persuade him not to do what he very well knows he should do. It's just not believable. The premise is serious yet the principle characters deal with petty issues that totally gloss over the seriousness of the predicament. They deal with their own personal insecurities about identity and worth but it just doesn't fit the tenor of the film. The film attempts to be funny in a Kumar and Harold go to White Castle sort of way. It's not that funny. No way close. The character, an young Black man from African and the other a young Black man from the U. S. is not lost in the makeup of the characters of this film and the context of the situation. This was not addressed in terms of the differences that are said to be had between an African from the continent versus and African from the U. S. as they relate to law enforcement and racism in general in this country. The film has a good idea but totally has to be reworked script wise and edit wise and direction. It's just not that good.

Emergency

[henry8-3 · 7/10 · 30 May 2022]

2 black students are planning a last bash by touring all the clubs. Visiting their Latino friend's house they find a white, high school girl unconscious on the floor. Given the potential reaction if they do, they debate whether to call 911.

Excellent performances by the 2 leads and a wonderfully witty script make for one of the better comedies of the year. Whilst the first 2 thirds is often hilarious - a couple come out of a their house with a 'black lives matter' sign on their lawn and immediately accuse them of drug dealing - the film slowly becomes more serious as their arguing intensifies, as does the fear of the police / fear for the girl. Ultimately it is a well crafted, but funny indictment of a divided America where racism is seemingly still pretty endemic.

Watchable movie despite seeing a lot of whining reviewers.

[dewilliams30 · 7/10 · 30 May 2022]

It ended well and it was watchable. I was expecting this to end like most crazy movies with no colorful cast and the drugged-up girl becomes dead because her friends decided they couldn't go to jail and risk their college life and or future careers. It was comical and ironic because in our households we would ask the same question 'What If'. There's no questions asked in today's society, some people are criminals even when they are the innocent. That's life. It's crazy sad looking at the comments on movies such as this arent' afraid of stating the obvious. If you feel that the movie is making a division and or being hateful and or racist by showing how people would act in an event such as this proves how people would respond based on how this society sees them then you're still living in this society with blinders on. Should we continue to sweep this ish under the rug because you need to feel better about yourself and not feel guilty about it, get over yourself. This is our society and we cannot move on if its never acknowledged and or learned and or shared, understood? How many movies have we seen that shows ppl of no color doing exactly this and worse? I have seen hundreds of them, where they are so called friends of the victim and they would cover up the bodies and or finish their friends off because they didn't want to deal with ruining their chance at their scholarship and or becoming a doctor after finishing college. What's the difference? Because its showing truth? Because racial disparities are highlighted in the film vs the all 'white' cast and privilege within that race is the bases of how they react in this same situation? People make dumb decisions that's reality, people don't react the way we think they should react under pressure, that's reality. What world are some of you living in? It was a watchable movie and the decisions made were done the same in every movie we've seen when we screamed back at the tv WHY? And no I am not an investor in this film besides my time lol.

A decent film by newb filmmakers.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 7/10 · 16 June 2022]

Well directed and written, and even better and convincing performances. I didn't really find it funny, but it was still a well told buddy drama dealing with real world issues. The 105 min runtime was decent, although the pacing could've been better. A solid one-time watch and a well deserving 7/10 from me.

Pointless, cheesy and dividing us

[pablo_robertson · 1/10 · 30 May 2022]

Terrible film, the whole plot was petty, pointless and unrealistic. So a girls drunk and vomits, big deal..give her some water and wait for her to wake up, end of film. So the girls sister panics when she finds her sister in a van in the woods with three strangers, weird right? The guys happen to be 2 black guys and one latino. But the film makes it out that she's only panicking cause they're not white. She's obviously be fine if they were 3 white guys in a van in the woods with her 17 old sister....not! So not credible, and trying to divide us as ever. This is what sells now adays division and race baiting. And the last scene when they drive to the hospital, if you see the scene from the police's point of view of course he gets thrown on the ground. Then the end scene, and that look on his face, pure cheese! The film should actually be used in schools to show how the media can be used to manipulate peoples opinions and divide us and create a victim mentality.

Took me for a ride

[klperkins07 · 10/10 · 28 May 2022]

Very good movie. Realistic and impactful. The acting is good from mostly unknown/ unfamiliar talents. Some cliche theme and common "college" buddy film tropes, but the message still hits hard.

Fictional story playing up black men fearing police.

[TxMike · 8 June 2022]

This is an Amazon Original, I watched it streaming on Prime.

I found this movie a bit hard getting into, some of the characters seem unsavory and love to use filthy language. But I stuck with it, the first part featuring college fraternity parties serves to set the stage for the meat of the movie, filmed mostly in the neighborhoods of Atlanta, Georgia.

When two black men, both good college students and roommates, sharing a home with a "brown" Hispanic male, come home they are shocked to find a pretty and petite white blonde girl passed out on their floor from too much partying. They all know the "right thing" to do, call 9-1-1 and get proper help. But their fear of the situation, cops finding a cute white girl passed out in their home, cause them to do something else. Plus, we soon find out, the girl is a 17-yr-old high school student.

In all I found it an interesting viewing, to see in a fictional setting what fear of police might get men of color to do, just to keep from getting shot and killed. That is a real problem in some areas. The director is a black man which lends credibility to the exercise, however I was disappointed that the writer is a non-black female.

To the review titled "so basically nothing happens" I say, watch the movie and pay attention, lots of things happen.

Party Night with a twist

[Ckn48 · 6/10 · 5 June 2022]

Gently handled but sad indictment that educated Black guys who just want to have a good night partying can't call for help when a strange white girl appears in their apartment.

Its so sad that even being in the vicinity is enough to infer them as guilty.

They do everything they can to get her help without getting themselves into major trouble.

The girls sis and White friends are trying to follow on a bike, much slower but with find my friends & it makes for a nice twist.

When they get the girl to A&E with the police in tow, the police are just as predicted.

Even in america, you would think, regardless of the color of skin, if a car stops at a hospital, medical attention is more important than treating everyone as a criminal.

This movie is not a keeper but it has got a good message.

I really hope that america can find a way out of this hole it has dug itself.

To the makers, thank you for a good movie.

Good Scripting Good Filming Good Acting Good Sound Track

Its worth a watch 👍

Bullsh1t!!!

[vhjbvkhqz · 1/10 · 30 May 2022]

For this story to have a young black man crying about how the cop put a gun to his face... you were in a car that didn't stop when trying to be pulled over. What do you think was going to happen??.. they were going to give you a prize... they have no idea why you didn't pull over and Until they get an understanding of the situation, they are going to take every precaution.

For this move to try and tell this story of woe is me is bullsh1t. This is a slow and horrible movie.

Don't

[phanita · 9/10 · 28 May 2022]

Believe the 1 star ratings on here. Go to rotten tomatoes instead or better yet, how about you WATCH the movie. Guarantee the 1 star reviewers didn't watch the movie.

I grew to like it, but I think I wanted more laughs.

[subxerogravity · 6/10 · 27 May 2022]

The overall message was sound, but the delivery was a bit flawed. I guess it was a dark comedy which makes sense, but I needed more comedy than dark for it to be sensible.

I felt the trigger for the night's event was too weak for me, and in that weakness that should have gone for more laughs than depending on the youthful ignorance of college boys.

The chick from Girl Meets World who was the closest thing to an antagonist did not seem that in the wrong for her attitude considering the plot, for me to fully stand with the lead characters.

It definitely had its moments of funny and frustration but whatever target it was trying to hit did not quite hit the bullseye...but it was close.

This movie is dumb

[quizote · 3/10 · 1 July 2022]

Not sure what I was expecting but this was a dumb movie. Here is a character smart enough to get into Princeton but he cannot make the right judgement call when faced with an unconscious person. Finally, I don't understand why he shut the door on the girl when she tried to apologize. She admitted she wasn't perfect and isn't that why we apologize??? I found it really stupid, again he's supposed to be the smart one but he cannot listen to an apology?

The girl could have reacted differently when she saw her unconscious sister but nobody is perfect, and this is made very clear with these 3 idiots, continuously driving around with a passed out total stranger. Please don't waste your precious time on this movie.