LOS ANGELES — The full trailer for “Code 3” offers an expanded look at the fast-paced, often unpredictable life inside an ambulance — and the toll it takes on those who work there. The short preview is safe for work, unlike the red band teaser released in July.
In the new movie trailer, viewers follow paramedics through the highs and lows of the job: irreverent humor on scene (“Shirt, no pants. That’s like Winnie the Pooh”), tense calls involving psychiatric patients, and the unspoken bonds that form when the work gets personal. The trailer blends dark comedy with gut-punch moments, highlighting both the rush of saving lives and the grind of a system many feel is “broken.”
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At its core, “Code 3" appears to be more than just a buddy comedy about two medics. It’s also a look at burnout, moral injury and the reasons some leave EMS — or stay despite everything.
“I got into EMS ‘cause I really wanted to help people,” Wilson’s character says. “But this is a job. You clock in. You clock out.”
The film stars Rainn Wilson (“The Office”) as a burned-out paramedic named Randy on his final 24-hour shift, tasked with training a new recruit, played by Lil Rel Howery (“Free Guy”). The script, co-written by former paramedic Patrick Pianezza, brings an added layer of authenticity to the story. The movie is set for release in theatres on Sept. 12.
EMS1 will have more “Code 3" coverage
The full trailer comes ahead of EMS1’s in-depth coverage of the movie, including:
- A full review by EMS1 columnist Rob Lawrence, who brings more than 25 years of civilian and military EMS leadership experience to his take on the film.
- An EMS One-Stop podcast episode hosted by Lawrence, featuring a conversation with Code 3 writer and paramedic Patrick Pianizza. The interview, set to release on Labor Day, will explore the film’s authenticity, inspiration and portrayal of EMS culture.
Lawrence, who has led award-winning ambulance agencies in the U.S. and U.K. and serves as president of the Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration, will explore themes in “Code 3" — from gallows humor to operational reality — in his upcoming review and EMS One-Stop podcast episode.
For now, the full trailer is giving EMS providers — and moviegoers — a taste of a film that promises to capture the unfiltered side of life on the road with lights and sirens.
