Asphalt City

Ollie Cross (Tye Sheridan) is a rookie EMY in New York City. He is tossed into the fire working the night shift at a scene with multiple shootings and a hostile crowd. He is paired with Gene Rutkovsky (Sean Penn) a seasoned EMT who worked during 9-11. He learns to prioritize patients. Cross lives cheaply in Chinatown, saving money and studying for MCATS. The actions of the high-pressure jobs of the EMTs are scrutinized as there are hearings and suspensions for all kinds of misdeeds. Cross discovers that his partners through their experience not only play God, but judge, jury, and executioner. He finds the job difficult as well as the hazing aspect. The story gives us a peek into the stress that NYC EMTs have in doing their task. The acting was great, but the characters were not relatable. Guide: F-word, sex, nudity (Raquel Nave)

In relentlessly harrowing drama "Asphalt City" (aka "Black Flies") grizzled veteran Sean Penn & naive newbie Ty Sheridan are ambulance paramedic partners. Trying to help NY's ungrateful scum dregs every night, their souls are in danger of sliding into a black abyss. There are minor supports from the likes of Katherine Waterston, Mike Tyson & Kali Reis, but this is all about Penn & Sheridan (excellent actors in fine form) and Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire who directs Ryan King & debutant Ben Mac Brown's screenplay with style & intensity. It's noble fare that'll garner great respect for those doing the paramedic job, but at over 2hrs long it is an admittedly HARD watch.

This has to be the worst movie I have ever watched. What's up with the fur burger scene? It was pointless with absolutely no storyline. I wanted to poke my eyes out. I am going to have PTSD for the rest of my life.....,,,,,,. If I could save anyone who thinks this looks good from the 2 hour nightmare you will have to force yourself to see, I would say PLEASE DONT WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS TIME on this flop of a movie. Unless of course you want to see two white adults running around naked and holding a baby. What in the actual heck does that have to do with the life of medical driver? If that's what goes on in their mind.. please let me die on scene.......

I like Tye and I think he should make a film where he plays an asexual character for once so we don't have to see each and every time a * woman laying on the floor etc. Hollywood is very 80s today and very European like with the killing of animals scenes. Very fascinating and amazing scenes. I really hope that the director will one day realise what he did with these scenes and he will regret it sometimes. Karma maybe. I hope so. Anyways if there are any aliens out there that would like to abduct me so I leave this planet once and for all please do so as soon as possible please? Thank you very much have a great day,

There is absolutely no doubt that 'Black Flies' is a grim movie. I confess I hadn't even heard of it and it seems to have slipped under the radar but for all of it's gloom and doom it is well worth watching. One thing the movie does very well is to make the viewer fully aware of just how horrendous being a paramedic can be and boy will you respect them more after this. This is a well acted film with the two leads showing good chemistry and at times some ad-libbing if I'm not mistaken. One thing I absolutely hated though is the totally unnecessary nudity from one actress which added nothing to the movie apart from cheap thrills. It got to the stage where I was actually yelling at the screen 'put some cloths on love for crying out loud'. Rant over, this is a good effort, bleak but pretty decent.

This is a fly on the wall documentary style of film. It's not light watching and will take a lot out of you but I imagine it is an insight into the reality of inner city emergency services. Some scenes will shock the most hardened viewer particularly if you don't like graphic harm. The storyline doesn't necessarily have a start and end but more of a narrative which will keep you on edge throughout. Mike Tyson is a pretty random choice with a pretty small part however Sean Penn, Michael Pitt and Tye Sheridan are excellent. Overall a good and well acted film that is fast paced and unpredictable.