Ready for a night of legendary partying, three college students must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an unexpected situation.
Sure, “Emergency” can be about college kids trying to have some fun to survive the biggest night of their lives with tons of exciting adventures, mishaps, and all the craziness that has been flying around. Still, to me, it is all about comedy, drama, and occasional emotional moments. It’s always about looking out for other people, regardless of their race and gender, and that’s the most important thing about friendship and love. This film is featured as part of the Sundance Premieres and features the acting duo of R.J. Cyler and Donald Elise Watkins.
“Emergency” focuses on two African American college graduating students, Kunle and Sean (Donald Elise Watkins and R.J. Cyler), who are about to embark on the most incredible night of their lives, which is attending Spring Break parties under the name “the legendary tour.” As they’re heading off to the party, they stop by their house on the way, only to discover a drunk, semi-conscious white girl, Emma (Maddie Nichols), lying on the floor. Desperate, Kunle calls the police for medical help, but Sean opposes the idea as he is concerned about how it will look when the cops show up. Together, Sean and Kunle and their oblivious roommate Carlos (Sebastian Chacon) decide to load the girl into Sean’s van, taking her to the hospital rather than calling the police.
Actor Donald Elise Watkins portrays his leading role as Kunle, a prestigious African American college-graduating student recently accepted to Princeton College in New Jersey. In contrast, R.J. Cyler represents his best friend, Sean. Their performances are outstanding, and they’re delightful for the entire film. No falls and flaws; they have fun as if they treat this as a comedy-satire compared to “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “New Girl.” Experiencing life with Kunle and Sean is exciting. Their chemistry as best friends can be as heartwarming, emotional, and enduring as ever, thanks to their acting skills and endurance.
Based on K.D. Dávila’s 2018 short film of the same name, the film is directed by Carey Williams and is written by K.D. Dávila. Williams and Dávila state that their movie is ultimately a buddy movie between two friends, although the intro is not preparation enough for the emotional ride that precedes it. It’s a film that counts as a buddy adventure, providing some windows for the viewers to learn and understand how complicated and challenging the experience of being black in America can be, which is the most prominent theme of the story. Though the film only takes place in one evening, it rarely does the job where any Hollywood filmmaker or local filmmaker provides such an intimate opportunity to show and tell a personal tale to illuminate the horror and thriller ingredients of the film.
As tense as “Emergency” can be, the movie is fun. The jokes and the references in this movie are consistently hilarious throughout, thanks to the screenwriting chores from K.D. Dávila, despite bad language being used throughout. Parts of the film, especially the climax, are cringe-worthy yet intensifying, giving the feel of a psychological thriller. But everything else turns out to be high-flying, adventurous amusement. This story makes me wish there were more films to watch than just the highly-anticipated ones. It’s just that you need to learn how to appreciate other films by watching the trailer first. So, don’t be picky when choosing this film or others.
The rest of the cast includes Sebastian Chacon, as Kunle and Sean’s roommate Carlos, Maddie Nichols as Emma, the drunk girl who Kunle and Sean help, and Sabrina Carpenter as Maddie, Emma’s older sister and a college student who mistreats her.
I’ve seen many psychological horror and thriller films that can be good or bad, but “Emergency” is a great movie, clocking in at 105 minutes. Director Carey Williams, writer K.D. Dávila, RJ Cyler, and Donald Elise Watkins made this film funny and entertaining. I feel like they borrowed one of Jordan Peele’s secret ingredients with comedy elements added throughout. This film is a must, especially for older teenagers and young adults, and it caught me by surprise. There are certainly a few plot holes, but if you want a decent comedy-drama with laughs, surprises, and lovable characters, this is for you.
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