RIOTUS

Randy (Rainn Wilson) has had enough. After 18 years working as an underpaid, under-appreciated paramedic in a broken medical system, he’s ready to quit and take on a 9-to-5 office job. But he has one last shift to finish, and those final 24 hours give us a glimpse of just why he’s decided to walk away (and perhaps why it’s sometimes worth sticking around).

Joining him on his last ride are his long-time partner Mike (Lil Rel Howery), as well as his new trainee Jessica (Aimee Carrero). Neither of whom takes Randy’s BS, with Mike cracking jokes at Randy’s expense, while Jessica challenges his jaded approach. Together, the three make for a pretty dynamic team that keeps the film flowing. With an occasional assist from the glorious EMT supervisor Shanice (Yvette Nicole Brown), who has a heart of gold but isn’t afraid to cut people down to size. 

Blending action, comedy, and (a cynical but still beating) heart, Code 3 is a love letter to the unsung heroes of our emergency services. A blood-soaked, disgusting, balls-out love letter, but a love letter nonetheless. It doesn’t glamorize the job at all; in fact, it alternates between grossing you out and breaking your heart. Based on real life events, it’ll give you a whole new level of appreciation for what first responders do—and how much they sacrifice every day. How impossible it feels to keep going, while coming to terms with the fact that it’s impossible not to.

The film also lays bare the glaring intersectional issues with the American healthcare system. Where the wrong kind of insurance is a death sentence, and EMTs must fight legal regulations just to keep their patients alive. Yes, Code 3 handles this with plenty of humorous patient mishaps, but also with the kinds of stories that haunt every hospital waiting room.

In one particularly gut-wrenching scene, both the police and the EMTs respond to a Black psychiatric patient who doesn’t have enough medication to last the whole month, leading to an episode. You can likely guess which crew manages to de-escalate the situation and actually help the patient—something the scene examines at length with razor-sharp insight. 

In these life-or-death situations, the paramedics must find humor—or at least, detachment—in order to survive, and that attitude drives the film. Rainn Wilson expertly mixes in his trademark sarcasm with a complex portrayal of Randy’s burnout that really shows off his range. He breaks the fourth wall in between breaking ribs to point out just how tiring the system is. And it’s usually delivered straight to the bloodstream with a dose of disillusionment. Lil Rel Howery is his usual hilarious self as Mike, whose more upbeat approach helps to soften Randy’s hard lines. And Aimee Carrero shines bright as Jessica, balancing out the team as they show her (and us) the ropes.

Code 3 might be a comedy about saving lives (or not), but it’s the jokes’ truths that will get you. This film’s irreverent realness is what gives you something to hold onto in amongst the chaos. Maybe don’t watch if you’re squeamish, but definitely watch if you’re a fan of medical dramas…or simply in the mood to fight the system. Oh, and one more thing: Give first responders a goddamn raise!