At some point, a social issue becomes too large to ignore, and begins to infiltrate into all areas of our daily lives. The race problem in America has reached a fever pitch, with the needless police brutality and sentiment that there is a direct correlation between race and criminal activity leading to a stigma that every person born with darker skin has to carry for their entire life, living in fear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, which is a sentiment that is repeated far too frequently in the media, indicating this is not merely a minor problem, but a widespread social epidemic, which is showing very few signs of abating, regardless of how much noise is made by the activists that dedicate their time to fighting for this cause. However, change is slowly being made, and whether this takes the form of the admirable protests that extend outside of the United States, with members of the global community voicing their support and pledging to be allies from their own homes, or through more creative means (namely in the form of artistic expression), the more awareness that is brought to these issues, the more likely we are to see change. One person who has put his own interpretation into the public domain is Carey Williams, who works closely with KD Dávila (who wrote the screenplay) in the creation of Emergency, which was inspired by the short film they produced several years prior, which functioned as their pitch for a much longer and expansive film. This has now eventually been made, and has easily become one of the year’s most powerful and haunting statements on the realities faced by many people in contemporary America, joining a steadily growing list of fascinating comedies with deep and disturbing messages embedded at their core, that use humour and pathos in equal measure to establish a sincere connection between the artwork and its audience, whose experiences with this film may differ, but the sheer power present in every frame is enough to have it linger on long after the film has ended, which is precisely the point of such an ambitious project.

To call Emergency an important film is not false, but it feels like such a wild underrepresentation of this film and everything it sets out to do, it feels like it is standing on the bleeding edge of contemporary satire, which is a perilous place to be for any filmmaker, since the risk associated with the story failing could potentially derail any career, let alone a director so early in his filmmaking journey, which is the case for Williams. However, with an enormous risk comes a staggering reward, and this film pays off in unexpectedly profound ways. It starts as a relatively conventional buddy comedy, with its rapid-fire pace and lighthearted tone misleading us into thinking this was going to be a more lighthearted affair. Yet, those who pay attention will start to notice the tone gradually getting darker, with the steady decline in terms of this more upbeat demeanour being replaced with heightened tensions. Any film that is not part of the horror genre, but yet can feasibly be mistaken for one, is certainly worth much more than we may give it credit for, and throughout Emergency we see Williams and Dávila trading in good-hearted humour for a bleak, deeply disturbing depiction of the plight of young black men in America, a country where something as simple as body language or a misplaced movement could result in one’s life ending, and the perpetrator not facing any consequences as a result of simply doing their job. If this alone doesn’t terrify the viewer, then absolutely nothing else ever could. This film is made by a director who is not merely passionate about this material – he demonstrates an apoplectic rage that shows his complete frustration and disdain for the system, and the fact that this is a film that unsettles us through presenting us with a very simple but bleak portrait of reality, to the point where we walk away thoroughly haunted and disturbed, should be a clear example of how ferocious anger was the primary propellant behind this film, which has grown weary of broken promises, deciding to be as controversial as it possibly could be, in the hopes of bringing even more awareness to these issues.

However, what is of equal importance when considering Emergency is not only the message, but also it’s delivery. We can see endless discussions about police brutality, gun control and masculinity in the modern world, with a perpetual stream of fascinating conversation where both sides seem dedicated to defending their position. However, the fact is that very little has actually been done, which requires a march towards awareness more than anything else – there is safety in numbers, and movements are born from organic campaigns that aim to bring the public’s attention to a specific issue. Williams and Dávila are cognisant of the fact that the one way to capture an audience’s attention is quite simply to entertain them, and the promise of a hilarious comedy is enough to get a fair amount of viewers to see this story than would have likely sought it out had its intentions been more clear. This is not misleading us, but rather concealing the true purpose of this story – and while that is ultimately the reason behind the creation of the film, it invalidates the fact that Emergency is not just 100 minutes of overwrought, heavy-handed commentary that is executed without any creativity. Even putting aside its conceptual framework, this film is wildly funny – it is an outrageous and irreverent comedy-of-errors, drawn from an iconic legacy that includes films like The Odd Couple and Clerks, which are easygoing comedies about friends (normally polar opposites) overcoming some problem, while also working on their own supposedly incompatible relationship, with the most effective works being those that show that, despite whatever differences they may have, there is something much stronger than bonds these people. It is important to not be mistaken – Emergency is an astonishing film precisely because of its attention to detail and ability to be extraordinarily funny without invalidating the more serious message, and in many ways, this off-the-wall approach to humour is precisely what makes this such a vibrant, captivating and meaningful film.

The performances are essentially what pushes Emergency in the direction of being both a very charming dark comedy and a hopelessly bleak social critique, since the tone of the film has to be tempered by the actors, who are doing magnificent work that is often quite subtle, but has an immense impact. The two leads are played by RJ Cyler and Donald Elise Watkins, who are both exceptionally promising young actors. Cyler has been acting for quite a while, being a highlight in many terrific films, so it is hardly a surprise that he was turning in yet another strong performance, this time playing a young man who seems to be skating through life, seemingly unaware on the seriousness of the future, and how his constant refusal to take his studies seriously is going to have severe consequences down the road. Obviously, there is a reason behind constructing his character in this way, and we unearth many fascinating secrets that lurk beneath his otherwise upbeat persona. Watkins, on the other hand, is a newcomer – other than a few small supporting roles in a variety of film and television series in the past, he has never been given the chance to prove himself, with this being his first major leading role. Cyler may be the embodiment of the most natural, earnest charisma one can have, but it is Watkins who makes the biggest impression. As the dignified, disciplined academic who is set on his journey to becoming an expert in his field (to the point where his aspirations clash with a friendship that clearly means a lot to him), he is a revelation – each moment he is on screen feels like we are in the process of discovering a bright new talent, an actor whose sensibilities clearly position him as being amongst the most exciting young performers we have working today. It’s a challenging role for any performer, but having this as your first leading role, and still managing to turn in some profoundly impressive work, is a clear sign of a genuinely gifted and profoundly interesting young actor. The rest of the cast is also very good, but they are merely supplementary, contributing to the plot without making too much of an impression on their own – but considering how much of Emergency hinges on the two leads, this isn’t much of a criticism, and more an observation on how this is a film that understood how to prioritize certain aspects over others.

On the surface, Emergency might not seem like much – an upbeat comedy filled with references that are targeted towards Generation Z, and thus will likely appeal to them more than anyone else, and featuring a sense of provocation that can feel misplaced if one doesn’t know what to expect from the material. However, the further we work our way through this film, the clearer it becomes that this is not all that it was intended to be. Instead, it reminds us of a film like Blindspotting, a similarly hilarious and brilliantly unconventional buddy comedy that takes a very dark turn, from which there isn’t any chance to escape – we are going to be confronted with some very bleak commentary, which serves to be a harrowing testimonial from a pair of artists who have grown frustrated and hopeless with the state of the world, and we see reflections of their own existential quandaries reflected in these characters. This may be a fictional film, but the fear that pulsates throughout this film is tangible and real, with the filmmakers spending as much time as possible making their position clear, presenting their own perspective while leaving the more ambigious elements open to interpretation. This doesn’t refer to the issue of morality or ethical behaviour (which, as far as Williams is concerned, is definitely not up for debate – America has a race problem, and far too much power is given to those who haven’t earned it), but rather the direction in which the country is going. The film asks the boldest question of them all: how bad does the state of the country need to get before everyone stands in unison and demands an end to this needless violence? It’s a haunting examination of race amongst the younger generation, the people who grew up in a supposedly free, progressive version of the country, but yet find themselves in as much danger as those that came before them. Emergency is an astonishing film, a detailed and complex social odyssey that is both hilarious and terrifying, using these extreme emotions to carefully investigate some very real issues, which it presents with a jagged tone and very sardonic approach, which enriches and elevates this complex and beautifully unsettling call to arms, in the hopes that it will provoke enough thought and make more viewers aware of the reality many faces in America today, which is an admirable and worthy cause.