“Code 3” tells the story of what will be the very last 24 hour shift of Randy, a burned out paramedic who’s seen too much, is paid too little and can’t envision another moment on this incredibly stressful job. Based on the experiences of Patrick Pianezza, a co-writer with the director, Christopher Leone, the story itself is compelling. Hospitals are overcrowded, physicians are dismissive, the hours are long and unrelenting, the police are quick on the draw, traffic is abysmal. It’s truly amazing that these unsung heroes survive a day, let alone a career of 16 years like Randy.
On his last assignment, Randy will partner, as he has for many months, with Mike who never relinquishes the wheel, despite Randy’s exhortations, and Jessica, a newby assigned as a drive-along.
The streets of LA are chaotic, accidents are many and sometimes truly freakish. The team faces life and death situations every time they answer a call. Particularly poignant is a call that has been routine to them. Charlie, aka Mr. President, screaming and wielding a heavy tool, is off his meds again because the VA hasn’t allocated enough of his antipsychotics to last until the end of the month. It’s the end of the month. Randy, knowing the situation, having faced it with Charlie repeatedly, is in the process of calming him back to earth when the police arrive, guns drawn, ready to take down someone they see as a danger to all around. It is because of Randy’s vigilance, putting himself in the line of fire, that he is able to convince the police to let him do what he knows he does best. Rather than another dead black man, Charlie survives to face another month; well survive until his meds run out yet again.
Randy and Mike banter back and forth between calls and Jessica listens with ears and eyes open. But the biggest dangers they face are not those on the street but those in the hospital. Law and medical ethics demand that their patients be taken to the nearest hospital. Overcrowding and lack of staff puts the doctors in untenable situations and Dr. Serano, chief ER physician, believes in the trickle down theory. His frustration, condescension and animosity trickle down to Randy, an easy target of his ire.
Randy is all too happy to hang up his stethoscope and retire to the quiet confines of the insurance company where he will begin work within days. His boss, Shanice, is skeptical but understanding when she can’t convince him to take one more shift.
The story is interesting and the characters are believable, but “Code 3” isn’t as compelling as it needs to be. There is a bit of black humor and some heartstopping moments, but the rhythm is off. Lil Rel Howery as Mike is terrific, giving an effective portrayal of a professional able to maintain a boundary between his job and his personal life. Aimee Carrero as Jessica brings more depth to her character than likely was on the page. A mostly silent passenger in the back, she makes her presence known, right or wrong, quietly and effectively, earning the respect of her supervisors. Rob Riggle as Dr. Serano is the definition of glib and condescending. It is a surface performance because he is unable to earn our sympathy for his problems, and they are many.
Unfortunately what keeps “Code 3” from taking off is the lead, Rainn Wilson as Randy. His effectiveness comes in waves. Funny in the lighter moments, he has trouble mediating the emotions of the fraught times. Perhaps that may be the case in the real life of a paramedic, but it just wasn’t convincing. He plays Randy’s anxieties in the key of C, without sharps, flats or harmony. Best when he is gently trying to coax Charlie off his psychological cliff, not as good when required to show anger or frustration. I can see why he wanted to play this character but doesn’t quite have all the colors on his palette to pull it off.
“Code 3” is a movie that has all the right parts but they don’t coalesce into a compelling whole. Wait for it to come to a streaming service near you.
Opening September 12 at the AMC Rolling Hills 20.
I respectfully disagree; the emotional range of Wilson’s portrayal of a paramedic was accurate. He’s burnt out, a state that happens to many of us who have worked or continue to work in this field. I urge you to consider the possibility that his tone was due to masking emotions.
This movie is a realistic look into EMS. It’s not meant to glorify the profession but to parallel the reality of working in a pre-hospital setting. In my opinion, it didn’t take off as it should have because the general public doesn’t think about EMTs and paramedics as they do other first responders, such as police and firefighters. That is a valid and accurate point made in the movie.
Furthermore, the film is valuable and relevant because it can be used as a conversation starter with teenagers and people who want to join this field of work. Wilson’s interpretation of a paramedic was accurate, and he did the role justice.