Code 3 Review: A Defibrillator to the Heart!
In a medical emergency, the faces we often think about are those of doctors, nurses, and medical assistants. They have the answers, the skills, and the lifesaving abilities to deal with our most mild and serious ailments and injuries. Not very often do we think about the middle man or woman who races against time, having our lives in their hands even before we get to the hospital.
Paramedics are the last faces we want to see but are the faces of brave men and women tasked with being the first responders in critical medical emergencies. Their quick responses and critical care at times stands between life and death of their patient. In theory, EMT Paramedics, the highest level of EMS providers, must be treated as some of the most vital medical workers we have.
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However, they are some of the lowest paid medical professions in the industry. But, you wouldn’t need to tell Randy that twice, in Christopher Leone’s newest film Code 3. What on the surface looks like a comedy following a team of three paramedics in, turns into one of the most heartbreaking yet warm dramedies released in recent memory.
Randy (Rainn Wilson) has worked as a paramedic for close to two decades and he is beyond burnt out. It seems like his passion for helping others died a long time ago, resulting in feeling underappreciated and underpaid for the work he does. As he finally gets ready to resign he must undergo one last 24 hour shift with his partner Mike (Lil Rel Howery) and his new trainee Jessica (Aimee Carrero) that turns out to be one of the most chaotic and eye opening last shifts of his life.
Code 3 is a return to the pre-streaming comedy genre that provides a number of laughs and wild situations that blends script and situational comedy to create a blast of a film. What comes most as a surprise however is how Code 3 hits its audience like a defibrillator to the heart as it explores heartwrenching and heartwarming moments that mirror the profession authentically. Where most recent comedies tend to hit its audience towards the end with its dramatic unfoldings, this film shifts seamlessly between its comedic and profound moments that allow its script to reflect the constant emotional switches of the profession.
Through the progression of the film, Code 3 provides commentary on the American healthcare system in its display of the professionals who work within it and the patients who struggle through it. Leone’s film never stops to drive this point home but instead continues on its wild ride exhibiting moments throughout that stick out naturally. Code 3 shows the drive and passion behind the individuals wanting to enter the profession that slowly dissolves as they begin to be treated as numbers rather than people by patients and the system at large.
Where the film is able to portray the cracks in the system is in the paramedics’ communication with doctors and hospitals where each branch in the system fails to be unified to create a cohesive whole. This lack of meaningful communication and connection that results from these beaten down individuals only hurts their dedication to their jobs and the people they are expected to help every single day. What seems to be a lot for a comedy to take on does not feel forced at all and steadily is presented through Randy’s 24 hour shift naturally.
Where Code 3 strikes the perfect balance is in its ability to be realistic enough and cinematic enough to provide audiences with a laugh out loud experience where its most outrageous situations feel more than plausible. Comedy works best when there is a sense of realism behind its bits and Code 3 is able to do this incredibly.
At the end of the day, the film is one that can be watched again and again because of how satisfying it is as it explores every emotion. However, it is also able to be beyond memorable for the way it deeply sympathizes with everyone involved in the healthcare system and the compassion and love that shines throughout it. Code 3 is one of the best comedies in recent memory and always has its heart in the right place.
‘Code 3’ Rating – 4/5
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