Author’s note: First and foremost, my thanks go to Aura Entertainment and Wayfarer Studios for exclusive access to the full Code 3 movie, enabling me to write this review.
If you’ve seen the trailer for “Code 3” and — judging by the hundreds of shares and thousands of comments — many of you have, you’re already buckled in for this EMS road movie.
Who among us isn’t curious to see whether Rainn Wilson, in the lead role of Randy, can finally perform proper CPR? (EMS folks, you know which other acting role we’re talking about here). You’ll have to watch to find out, but “Code 3” offers a lot more than just Hollywood resuscitation accuracy.
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Yes, “Code 3” is exactly what you expect it to be, a chaotic catalogue of “been there, done that” moments. It’s pulled from the pages of that mental book we all carry titled “You couldn’t make this stuff up. It’s dark, funny, deeply familiar and, at times, uncomfortably and emotionally real. But it’s also more than a montage of scenes we’ve all lived — it’s a mirror.
In “Code 3”, we follow Randy (Wilson), a burned-out paramedic on the brink of walking away from the job that has shaped and broken him. He’s got one final 24-hour shift to get through before he hands in his radio. Along for the ride are EMT partner Mike (Lil Rel Howery), and Jessica (Aimee Carrero), the day’s ride-along. As they navigate calls, conflict and chaos, the film becomes a raw, emotional response through the highs and lows of EMS life.
Paramedic salary counter
One clever and all-too-real device used on is the on-screen salary counter, quietly ticking to show how little medics earn compared to other healthcare professionals. It’s a blunt but brilliant identification of how sometimes we do so much for so little. The film also nods to the bigger system problems, especially the flawed reimbursement structures that underpin our industry. Randy occasionally breaks the fourth wall to talk to us directly on these issues too.
Facing burnout
Randy, battle-worn and emotionally frayed, utters the words we wish more would say: “I’m not OK.” He is haunted not just by what he’s seen, but by what he’s had to become to survive it. It’s a sobering moment in a film that balances humor and heartbreak with surgical precision.
Throughout the movie, we witness strained interactions with ED staff — not to throw shade, but to spotlight shared suffering. The ED fellow delivers one of the most resonant lines in the film:
“I got admin that won’t hire more staff. I gotta be nicer. I gotta be faster.”
As he turns to walk away, he adds the line that may as well be tattooed on all of us:
“I gotta go back to never being done.”
There’s even a knowing nod to a universal EMS truth:
“The people that need us don’t call. The people that call don’t need us.”
It’s a nod to the real-world challenge we face as we try to steer our systems toward smarter, more sustainable models of care, moving away from the outdated “you call, we haul” mentality.
As the shift unfolds, so does the real theme: “Code 3” isn’t just about calls, it’s about calling. Randy’s frustration with the system is palpable, but so is his compassion. He’s the embodiment of the EMS paradox — resigned, yet still resilient.
Jessica, the outsider at the start, slowly finds her place. As any of us can attest, 24 hours on a rig with someone is enough time to know their family drama and favorite sandwich. By the end of the shift, she gets it — and us.
The calls they run, the split-second decisions, the moments of triumph and tragedy — they’ll hit home. I laughed out loud at some, and at others, I felt the presence of that stealthy onion-chopping ninja who seems to appear in these films just to set off the waterworks. Have a Kleenex handy — you’ve been warned.
Authenticity explained
And here’s why “Code 3” lands its emotional punches so well: it was written by Director Christopher Leone and Patrick Pianezza. Pianezza is one of us, a longtime paramedic and healthcare executive. For those who go back a bit, you might remember Patrick as a regular host of the EMS Leadership Podcast from a decade ago — alongside Chris Cebollero and, yes, yours truly.
Pianezza poured a life on the road into this script, one that he and his producer brother Paul reportedly shaped and reshaped over years of passionate dinner-table debate. This isn’t just Patrick’s story; it’s our story. He knows the missed meals, the dark humor, the broken system and the unbreakable bond of the crew cab. No wonder it feels so authentic.
At its heart, “Code 3” tells us what we already know: EMS isn’t just a job. It’s a way of life. A life we live, love, and sometimes curse — but it’s ours.
In the end, “Code 3” is a rowdy, chaotic, emotional shift — the kind you talk about long after the rig’s been cleaned and restocked. No, there will be no “Mother, jugs or speed”, but it is a warts-and-all representation of you. And that’s exactly why you should watch it.
Final rating? For those who know my legendary ability to sneak in a tactical nap during any movie ... this one gets a solid two eyes open and, of course, five stars.
