Emergency - SPOILER-FREE Review | Sundance 2022
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© Sundance Institute
Directed by: Carey Williams
Written by: K.D. Dávila
Starring: RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins, Sebastian Chacon, Maddie Nichols, Madison Thompson, Sabrina Carpenter
Runtime: 104 min
Synopsis: Straight-A college student Kunle (Donald Elise Watkins) and his laid-back best friend, Sean (RJ Cyler), are about to have the most epic night of their lives. Determined to be the first Black students to complete their school’s frat party legendary tour, the friends strap in for their ultimate assignment, Solo cups in hand. But a quick pit stop at home alters their plans when they find a white girl passed out on the living room floor. Faced with the risks of calling the police under life-threatening optics, Kunle, Sean, and their Latino roommate, Carlos (Sebastian Chacon), must find a way to de-escalate the situation before it’s too late.
Carey Williams presented R#J - directorial debut - during last year's Sundance Film Festival, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to insert it into my schedule. Now, after seeing his sophomore film, Emergency, I regret that decision. The director introduces the viewers to the compelling, amusing two lead characters, Kunle (Donald Elise Watkins) and Sean (RJ Cyler). Immediately, the characteristic dark humor that would be a constant throughout the runtime begins to stand out. Just like the rest of the movie, as time goes by, every filmmaking and storytelling element gradually escalates to a more impactful level. The most challenging task of the film is to balance this type of comedy with the serious, frighteningly realistic narrative.
KD Dávila's first-ever feature screenplay cleverly blends relevant social commentary with terrifying events and dark comedy, making for a constantly captivating viewing. The light, humorous first act slowly transforms into an otherwise simplistic "wrong place at the wrong time" plot point, but when race is taken into account, it can be, in fact, a life-changing, traumatizing, dangerous moment for the Black protagonists. History and memories kick in, emotion takes over, fear-driven decisions are made, and suddenly, a random coincidence changes a night of fun and partying into a real-life nightmare.
Williams brings Dávila's script to the big screen, showing impressive control of his craft. From the moment Kunle, Sean, and their friend Carlos (Sebastian Chacon) find a passed out girl in their house, Emergency rarely drops its tension levels. Despite some moments where jokes unwarrantedly take the spotlight from a more dramatic, important scene, the nerve-wracking narrative keeps the viewers captivated until the very end. As the situation continues to escalate, an impactful, emotionally powerful ending becomes inevitable, even though some middle phases of this suffering are a bit overdramatic. Nevertheless, the execution of the climax is a prime example of how to create a truly suspenseful sequence.
Going back to the comedy, Dávila offers the viewers and her own characters plenty to make fun of and laugh at. From a clearly racist White couple with a BLM sign in their front yard to the questionable syllabus in a college class, most jokes carry a hypocritical lens, as does the story itself. The simple fact that this movie wouldn't make any sense or even be possible with White protagonists should make viewers realize the absurd world we live in. Ironically enough, it's in the common, innocent comedic bits that sometimes the otherwise perfect balance feels affected. Final praise to the two main actors who share incredible chemistry and deliver outstanding performances.
Final Thoughts
Emergency intelligently blends impactful social commentary with an occasionally unbalanced dark humor, but it's the extremely tense, captivating, frighteningly realistic story that ultimately grabs the audience's undivided attention. KD Dávila offers a thought-provoking screenplay filled with hypocritical jokes and a simple premise that gradually becomes a terrifying, race-related nightmare. Donald Elise Watkins and RJ Cyler give remarkable performances as the two compelling protagonists who Carey Williams takes through escalating plot points, culminating in an incredibly powerful, suspenseful climax. Some people may look at this as just another story, but sadly, the real world is no longer that far away from fiction.
