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Emergency

Emergency

2022

Carey Williams

Donald Watkins, RJ Cyler, Maddie Nichols, Sebastian Chacon ...

5.3

686

Comedy. Drama Ready for a night of partying, a group of Latino college students must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an emergency.

	Author	Review
United States	Lovia Gyarkye The Hollywood Reporter	"Williams’ stylish direction, coupled with K.D. Davila’s assured screenplay, capitalizes on the absurdity of the situation (...) The three main characters feel [underbaked]"	NEU
United States	Owen Gleiberman Variety	"It has winning flashes of wit, of observation, of telling satire. But it’s fundamentally about the situation."	POS
United States	Siddhant Adlakha IndieWire	"The great thing about 'Emergency' (...) is its skillful balance between laughs and nerves (...) Every interaction is rip-roaringly funny (...) resulting in a film where you can’t help but laugh at the riveting absurdity"	POS
United States	Carlos Aguilar The Wrap	"A superbly affecting Elise Watkins leads the cast (...) All in all, this electrifying and thought-provoking ride works as it chooses the searing over the subtle"	POS
United States	Valerie Complex Deadline	"There is some magic here, but the misplaced laughs and insufferable characters make it arduous to connect with the film on any level."	NEU
United Kingdom	Adrian Horton The Guardian	"Darkness and light go hand in hand in 'Emergency', which also features one of the sweetest straight male friendship heart-to-hearts I’ve seen on screen in awhile (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"	POS
United Kingdom	Tim Grierson Screendaily	"One can feel Williams’ anger at an America that imperils young Black and Latino men, viewing them only as potential threats, but the picture never fully gets a handle on its mixture of satire and seriousness."	NEU
United States	Robert Daniels The Playlist	"Emotionally penetrating (...) An elaborate, chaotically hilarious, intensely terrifying journey worth taking"	POS
United States	Jake Kring-Schreifels The Film Stage	"The movie's powerful conclusion puts the night into perspective (...) Williams' focus remains on the way years of criminalization can impact decision-making and friendships"	POS
United States	Brian Tallerico rogerebert.com	"Incredibly charismatic ensemble [keeps] us with 'Emergency' even as it runs a little long through several overcharged endings"	NEU
United States	Ethan Anderton SlashFilm	"Captivating (...) Where 'Emergency' deserves the most recognition is in delivering a story that fully encapsulates the minority experience in the face of danger that will never be truly understood by the white majority"	POS
United Kingdom	Kambole Campbell Empire	"'Emergency' sometimes struggles to combine its cinematic form with its messaging. But there are just enough moments where it all comes together to make it feel like worthwhile viewing (…) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"	NEU
Canada	Mel Valentin Screen Anarchy	"Piercing, trenchant socio-political satire"	POS
United States	Matt Donato Paste Magazine	"'Emergency' is a confident, impactful college comedy that speaks to larger problems past campus boundaries"	POS
United States	Derek Smith Slant	"'Emergency' is uneven, but it's grounded by dynamic performances and a vivid portrayal of the minutiae of friendship (…) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"	NEU
United States	Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"[It] deftly toggles between comedy and impactful drama, between satire and serious commentary. Donald Elise Watkins and RJ Cyler are outstanding together (...) An original work, very much of its time (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"	POS
United States	Ross Bonaime Collider	"'Emergency' is ambitious and daring in what it's trying to say and do, but a mishandling of pacing, serious issues, and pseudo-parody hurt what is a truly intriguing concept"	NEU
United States	Jenny Nulf Austin Chronicle	"A chaotic and thoughtful ride worth hitching onto (…) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"	POS
United States	Mark Keizer AV Club	"While there are moments when 'Emergency' could have benefitted from tighter dialogue scenes and a quicker pace, Williams deftly fires off a lot of rhetorical arrows, and when they hit their target, the comedy really stings"	NEU

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