Review of Emergency (2022) by Stream2Bigscree — 08 Jun 2022

Streamers, we’ve found a streaming option that you may not have heard about – unless you went on Amazon Prime and saw those banners everywhere. The movie is called Emergency. College besties are ready for a legendary night of senior year partying, but an emergency situation throws a wrench in their plans. The roommates must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an unexpected situation.

Now, the biggest qualm with this movie is that it is supposed to be primarily a comedy? The real problem is the way the movie is marketed. I don’t think we should necessarily call this a comedy, but I guess it is. I thought I was going to see a fun last-night-of-college-party romp. I thought it would be a straight-forward buddy comedy that’s easy to digest. If you were looking for something light to end the night with a chuckle, boy did Amazon lead you astray! Emergency has some quirky, weed heavy, ironic chuckles in the first 30 minutes but then the humor is quite sparse throughout the rest. Once you get into the main part of the plot, things get very tense. After talking, I found this a bit funnier than Trip; but where we agree is Emergency definitely leans heavily on the drama and the real-life plight that black and brown people face when encountering or potentially interacting with the police. I was not expecting what Emergency actually was. Now, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. It just wasn’t what I expected. If you give this movie the chance, you will be completely caught up in the situation and the decisions that the main characters make.

Where this movie succeeds is in the story telling and the plot. I felt like I was one of the guys going on an epic senior year bender one last time. Then, it felt like I was right in the strife with them. One might even say the movie hit too close to home. I think the movie ultimately succeeds in showing how complex a situation can become when race is a potential factor. It allows the suspense to build with every decision made by the main characters has the potential for disaster. The tension of the situation and the relationships is harnessed very well. I bet you will be screaming at the screen as these guy goes deeper and deeper into this situation. Part of the credit has to go to RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins and Sebastian Chacon, who believably play these college seniors that make want to make smart decision but seem to make bad decisions at every turn. They play off of each other well and make these character feel real.

Long story short, Emergency is a very good movie from Amazon Studios. Where they lacked in the comedy, they picked up in a compelling and heartfelt story of the struggle of black and brown men in society. The line between hero and victim is razor thin for this population and Emergency definitely displays it. It is a must-see experience, so grab your box of popcorn and strap in.