If movies were judged by the sheer amount of misfortune its main characters faced, then Emergency would be one of the easiest 10s I've ever given. Carey Williams’ new film follows Kunle and Sean, who are two black university students that live with their Mexican friend Carlos. At the beginning of the film, they are about to embark on what they believe will be the most epic night of their college experience: an entire night at their college's crazy frat party. However, their excitement is short-lived when they arrive home to prepare for the festivities and find a passed out white girl on the floor. While calling 911 may seem like the easiest solution, the trio start to question whether or not it would be wise for three people of color to be seen around a blacked-out white girl.

That's how Emergency lays the groundwork for the film. The first few minutes of the film may be misleading, as it may initially seem like this film is just another other modern day young adult movie. However, Emergency is unique in incredibly significant ways, as it poses a question that is simultaneously comedic and horrifying to think about. The story itself is told extremely well. Throughout the film, different events and moments are stacked on top of the characters as they struggle with their decisions. This makes an already stressful film borderline anxiety-inducing and adds another layer of emotion to what we are experiencing as an audience with our characters. This film might be best described as a game of Jenga. Each heart-racing moment is the removal of a Jenga block that is then stacked higher, and the film throughout felt like it was building to a climax where the entire tower collapses.

The characters were also astonishing after I really considered how they were acted and written. The cast did a phenomenal job portraying their characters, perfectly balancing drama and silliness. RJ Cyler, Donald Watkins, and Sebastian Chacon have rich and genuine chemistry with one another, and you truly believe their connection. The dialogue felt authentic to modern day slang and dialect, which is something difficult to find in most modern-day films focused on teenagers and young adults.

The directing and style of the film is also superbly done. Aside from a couple of editing choices and framing issues at the beginning of the film, the tone and vibe Carey Williams was attempting to create with this film is clear. Emergency has both moments of dramatic tension and hilarious jokes, yet still is able to leave room for discourse and holds a mirror up to the society we live in today without feeling heavy-handed or shoehorned in. While Emergency is a film that may feel generic upon first glance, at its core it is a unique and creative film that found an original way of telling a story about the life many people are living today.

9.5/10