An armed robbery goes to hell in the newest action-thriller Ambulance. Michael Bay’s long career of quick-cut, stylized action movies continues with a mid-budget film exclusively in theaters starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as two brothers who rob a bank and escape in an ambulance. This is a type of movie we don’t get very often anymore, but 2022 has given us pleasant surprises like Moonfall, The Outfit, and Marry Me. Fortunately, this is an excellent addition to the growing list of entertaining films with outstanding performances this year.
These days, every commercially successful movie is either a big superhero blockbuster, a sequel, or a remake. While this is an American remake of an obscure 2005 Danish film, people buying tickets to this movie likely won’t know that. Instead, people will buy tickets for this movie because they watched the trailers and saw big, loud entertainment with Gyllenhaal’s beautiful beard front and center. This movie delivers on everything the trailer promises and more, providing the audience with a cinematic experience like no other.
Ambulance begins not with your standard explosive Bayhem but with the film’s emotional center and the protagonist’s goal. Will Sharp (Abdul-Mateen), a war veteran, spends his days on the phone with medical companies. His wife needs surgery he can’t afford, and the two are raising a young son. This motivates Will to participate in an armed robbery with his adoptive brother, Danny (Gyllenhaal). While Will is restrained and sympathetic in his performance, Danny is a loose cannon, willing to go to any lengths to get the job done. This mismatched duo has chemistry, and they work well together at times while also having tension due to their differences.
The first act is an excellent buildup to when everything kicks into high gear. The brothers steal an ambulance with EMT Cam Thompson (Eiza González) and severely wounded Officer Zach (Jackson White) in the back. What follows is one of the most intense hours of cinema we have seen in years. This is an era of Bay we hadn’t seen since the 1990s when he made Bad Boys and The Rock, two films explicitly referenced in one of the more meta films of his career. This never-ending thrill ride set under the burning Los Angeles sun has the shootouts of Heat and the vehicular adrenaline of Speed.
A throwback to a bygone era of action cinema doesn’t get much tastier than this, as a one-day thriller with claustrophobic scenes in an ambulance and non-stop tension. Including an innocent EMT and a cop on the verge of bleeding out makes the movie so much more exciting, as their lives are consistently in danger throughout the film. The film’s premise rarely gives the characters a chance to breathe, making this the most thrilling movie of the year.
Chris Fedak’s screenplay allows for moments of humor that don’t kill the film’s undying suspense. This gigantic car chase movie seems gift-wrapped for Bay’s directorial style, as I struggle to recall a moment where the camera stayed locked down on a tripod. Instead, the camera is constantly moving, and the dizzying shakiness of the movie is a perfect match for the film’s pure intensity. Bay also employs drone shots to capture astonishing angles of his action sequences. It takes a little while for the film to go full Bayhem, but once the time comes, the movie delights us all with booms, pows, and bangs.
Gyllenhaal gives quite a performance as an unhinged criminal. His loud, manic energy is the over-the-top this movie needed, and it was necessary to contrast Mateen’s more nuanced character. González gives a dedicated performance as Cam, a talented EMT uninterested in the effects of her job. She is superb, and her character has the most substantial arc in the film. Finally, Bay pulls back on his typical patriotism and female objectification and gives a more detailed look at how characters are impacted by their situation.
It’s undeniable how absurd this movie can be. This film features implausible events and laughably stupid moments, but sometimes, that’s not a problem. Ambulance is a movie you enjoy with a big buttery tub of popcorn. It features the talents of Oscar-nominated leading man Gyllenhaal and Hollywood’s newfound gem Abdul-Mateen, all wrapped up with L.A. Bay. It’s a movie that will get your heart racing from the intense, action-packed spectacle and ears quaking from the impeccable sound design.
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
