Summary

• Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan display captivating chemistry in Asphalt City.
• Asphalt City successfully immerses viewers in its setting.
• The movie's pacing ends up being uneven.

Asphalt City offers an engrossing perspective on the life of paramedics, though the movie does not manage to keep its momentum going throughout. The movie is centered on the relationship between its two leads, with Tye Sheridan playing the young paramedic Ollie Cross and Sean Penn giving life to grizzled veteran Gene Rutkovsky. During the night shift, the two paramedics encounter plenty of unnerving situations, bonding over their shared experiences.

Asphalt City is based on the book Black Flies by Shannon Burke. The source material was based on the author's own experiences as a paramedic in New York City, which contributes to the film's sense of realism. Asphalt City does a great job of building an immersive setting with its depiction of New York City at night, with it feeling like anything can happen to and around the film's main characters at any given moment.

Every time they go on a call, there are no certain terms for what the duo will find once they arrive at their destination, which gives the film a consistent air of urgency.

Asphalt City's Setting Is Well-Realized

New York City is a living, breathing character alongside the human ones

The story follows Sheridan's young Cross as he gets up and running as a paramedic on the night shift. Still green, he needs all the advice he can get from Penn's Rutkovsky, especially since the job he signed on for seems more dangerous than expected. Every time they go on a call, there are no certain terms for what the duo will find once they arrive at their destination, which gives the film a consistent air of urgency.

There are some graphic scenes in the film, with the movie's R-rating allowing Asphalt City to not hold back on key moments.

From shoot-outs to dog attacks to overdoses and more, the movie follows a city on edge. Asphalt City has impeccable cinematography, helping make New York City's dark corners places one would not want to get lost in. However, as they have to attempt to save as many lives as possible, Cross and Rutkovsky put themselves in harm's way again and again. The movie does a great job of presenting the nerve-wracking experiences the duo have every night and how they affect both characters deeply on a personal level.

There are some graphic scenes, with the movie's R-rating allowing Asphalt City to not hold back on key moments. While the film mostly succeeds in showing that a paramedic's life is no easy work, it loses itself at some moments. The film is made up of ups and downs, with its second act being uneven, and it starts to make the movie's runtime — which clocks in at a little over two hours — seem too long.

Sean Penn & Tye Sheridan Have Captivating Chemistry

The complexity of their characters' relationship is a high point

Penn and Sheridan share a lot of screen time, showcasing the full extent of their chemistry as each side of the young/experienced paramedic team, which makes the scenes where the duo are not together less exciting. There are some moments where the characters are apart due to story events, and that ends up throwing the movie's pacing off. However, when Penn and Sheridan get their chance to play off each other, Asphalt City soars. As for the rest of the cast, they do a serviceable job in small roles, though boxing legend Mike Tyson doesn't have much to do.

Penn is back in excellent form in the film. As the veteran paramedic, Rutkovsky has already created a method to the madness of the profession. He has a particular moral code and way of handling whatever crazy scenario the duo finds themselves in throughout the film. Penn has a couple of poignant moments towards the latter half of the film that lead directly into Asphalt City's major twist, and it is all perfectly intertwined with his relationship with Sheridan's character, especially given their different philosophies.

Sheridan is great as the film's POV character. Like Cross, the audience is thrown into the chaotic setting that is New York City at night. The character attempts to balance his work life, his studies, and his personal life throughout the picture, and watching him try to do so is compelling thanks to the earnestness of Sheridan's performance. Asphalt City might falter at times, but seeing Cross try to adapt to all the things happening to him makes for an interesting watch.