With the writing for Emergency, writer K.D. Dávila (Salvation) almost had something remarkable. The film, directed by Carey Williams (Cherry Waves), has a strong backbone in RJ Cyler's (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) performance, but the tone of the picture becomes unbalanced when lesser-known actors like Donald Elise Watkins (The Free State of Jones) appear. Emergency would have flown as a dark collegiate comedy with racial themes. However, as a picture about young Black males coping with race, it isn't very noteworthy. However, the film is rather humorous at times, and the dramatic components of the plot begin to come together towards the conclusion.

Sean and Kunle are both surprised at home as they prepare for their final night of college partying. When they get to their porch, they see that the door is already open. Inside is a half-naked, inebriated white female who is completely unable to function. Kunle wants to contact the cops, but Sean reminds him that they are Black guys, and this is a dangerous situation. They eventually decide to stop partying and drive her to the hospital. She eventually wakes up in the car and attacks them, believing she has been kidnapped. When Sean and Kunle learn that the girl's friends are also certain she has been kidnapped, the pressure is on to clear their identities of a false accusation.

Emergency comes to a stunning conclusion. Although much of the film is flawed, there is no doubting the emotional toll each character bears by the end. Emergency comes to a close with what appears to be a pleasant ending. Watkins' character has learnt something new about being Black, and his bond with Sean, played by Cyler, has been reinterpreted in a positive way. The brilliance of Williams' direction, though, is that he makes you believe he forgot this was a racing film. The film's closing frame is basic but effective. With a big smile, a young Black man is enjoying the results of his labour. The sirens start to sing, but not for him.  It makes no difference because Kunle's data-face appears in the same shot as the audience just saw him smile. It's a sobering reminder that the cops have followed Black Americans since the dawn of tim

Emergency is based on Williams and Dávila's short film of the same name from 2018, and it has the vibe of a homegrown indie in a good manner. The dramatic elements of the film, on the other hand, feel a little dragged out at points. The main point of contention between the protagonists is how to define Blackness. Because the movie takes place over the course of one night, it seems impossible that someone might reconsider their ethnic identity in just a few hours. Furthermore, one can only watch Watkins and Cyler fight so many times before it becomes tedious. The picture has plenty of meat on its bones, but it isn't always dramatic. Emergency has humour, but it never stays long enough in them.
It's not so much that Emergency has its ups and downs; it's more that the two leads are assigned the same assignment but from separate perspectives, and that dynamic is unsustainable over the course of a feature-length picture.