Direction: Carey Williams
Country: USA
The main topic of the comedy-thriller Emergency, the sophomore feature from Carey Williams (R#J, 2021), centers on racial prejudice but also addresses class gaps, friendship, and alcohol drinking, all from a youthful perspective.
Working from a script by K.D. Dávila, Williams directs Donald Elise Watkins, RJ Cyler and Sebastian Chacon with verve and purpose. They are college roommates - two black and one Latino - who spend a stressful night after finding an unconscious, intoxicated white girl (Maddie Nichols) on the floor of their apartment. Fearing the reaction of the police, known for their wrong assumptions, they decide not to call 911 but rather devise a plan of their own to get the medical attention she needs.
There’s a feverish anticipation of who's going to crack first under the delicate circumstances, but all ended up lukewarm, with limited novelty. Not fascinated by it, I found as many pathetic situations as funny lines - the lighthearted, funny dialogues between Sean (Cyler) and Kunle (Watkins) are the film’s best offering - in this tenuous dramatization of a serious episode. There’s a sentiment of truth marked by misunderstanding, fear and suspicion, but like the vibes of a crazy party, you leave before it leaves you.
