73
Metascore
27 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83IndieWireSiddhant AdlakhaIndieWireSiddhant AdlakhaEvery interaction is rip-roaringly funny — even the more disquieting ones — resulting in a film where you can’t help but laugh at the riveting absurdity.
- 80The GuardianAdrian HortonThe GuardianAdrian HortonA ride somehow both warm and stressful, and an inviting mashup of familiar beats made fresh by a trio of grounded, endearing performances.
- 80SlashfilmEthan AndertonSlashfilmEthan AndertonThe result is a chaotic, surprisingly funny, and intense night gone wrong that masterfully balances comedy, drama, and suspense.
- 80TheWrapCarlos AguilarTheWrapCarlos AguilarAll in all, this electrifying and thought-provoking ride works as it chooses the searing over the subtle, a tough call when approaching a subject that warrants in-your-face urgency.
- 75The Film StageJake Kring-SchreifelsThe Film StageJake Kring-SchreifelsDespite highlighting some chaotic encounters, Williams isn’t interested in explosions and one-dimensional, hell-bent villains. His focus remains on the way years of criminalization can impact decision-making and friendships, and, as his last shot suggests, how distinct sounds can traumatize even as they’re meant to help.
- 75The PlaylistRobert DanielsThe PlaylistRobert DanielsIt’s the unbreakable friendship between Kunle and Sean, the ways their time together, good or bad in college, will mark how they see the world, and how the world sees them, forever, that makes Williams’ Emergency an elaborate, chaotically hilarious, intensely terrifying journey worth taking.
- 70Paste MagazineJacob OllerPaste MagazineJacob OllerEmergency’s ensemble sustains its premise for far longer than it should be able to, maintaining the nuanced balance of commentary-thriller-comedy whenever the script becomes too interested in just one ingredient of its complex cocktail.
- 70VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanEmergency, in its racially aware way, turns into something that feels not unlike an ’80s comedy. It has winning flashes of wit, of observation, of telling satire. But it’s fundamentally about the situation.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeThe Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeEmergency mostly stays close to the surface of the issues it presents, which results in a darkly funny but frustrating viewing experience.
- 60Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonOne can feel Williams’ anger at an America that imperils young Black and Latino men, viewing them only as potential threats, but the picture never fully gets a handle on its mixture of satire and seriousness.