Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers forAmbulance.Michael Bay’s new heist thrillerAmbulanceis his most stripped-back feature film in years. After spending years on the never-endingTransformersfranchise, Bay is finally getting back to his roots with a gritty crime thriller. Although theTransformersfilms are thought of as the absolute pinnacle of everything blockbusters shouldn’t be, Bay isn’t an untalented filmmaker. He’s helmed many strong films, such asThe Rock, Bad Boys, Armageddon, and13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, andAmbulanceis the latest to join that list. The wild film is essentiallyPoint BreakmeetsSpeed.
What Is ‘Ambulance’ About?
Ambulancefollows the veteran Will Sharp (Yahya Abdul Mateen II), who struggles to pay for medications that will aid with his post-traumatic stress disorder. On top of that, his wife needs a $230,000 surgery. Will is desperate for a job, and reluctantly turns to his half-brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) for help. Danny owns a vehicular repair shop, but has been in trouble with the law for nearly his entire life. Will joins his new heist operation, but their attempted bank robbery goes horribly wrong. After gunfire ensues, Will and Danny are forced to hijack an ambulance carrying EMT Cam Thompson (Eiza Gonzáles) and wounded police officer Zach (Jackson White).
Ambulanceonly gets crazier and crazier from there, and remarkably Bay is able to sustain the premise for an epic 136-minute running time. The film’s closing moments surprisingly manage to wrap up the various storylines going on at once. It ends with a pivotal decision by Will, who is forced to turn against Danny. Tension has been brewing between the two of them since childhood, and throughout the film we see flashbacks featuring younger versions of the characters. In a parallel, footage of a younger Will, dressed as a sheriff, dueling Danny, pretending to be a robber, is included.
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Will is bound to the same bedside that Zach had stayed in after being shot during an exchange with their boss, the cartel ringleader Papi (A Martinez). Following his son’s death during the robbery, Papi had requested that Will and Danny turn Zach over to him. Danny was open to complying, but the honorable Will tells him they don’t have a deal. Although Danny manages to help Will escape in the ambulance and make his way to the hospital, Will is critically injured. This infuriates Danny, who is convinced that Zach shot him.
Do Will & Danny Get Away With Their Heist?
The ambulance makes it to the hospital, but Danny threatens to kill Cam in front of a live television audience. Will has been empathetic to Cam’s situation from the beginning, and respects her commitment to saving lives considering his own military background. Danny has grown suspicious of their bond, and he reaches a breaking point when he realizes that it was Cam who shot Will. Will knows that Danny is crazy enough to kill her, so he shoots Danny through the chest with a shotgun. The two lie together in the streets, sharing a moment of unspoken forgiveness as Danny dies. Danny closes his eyes, and accepts his fate.
Cam goes out to perform emergency surgery on Will, and meets his wife Amy (Moses Ingram) and their infant son. Earlier, Will had passed a segment of the cash that they stole to Cam. He insists that she give it to his wife in the case they don’t make it out, and tells her that his wife has no knowledge of what he’s doing and is completely innocent. In fact, she had voiced her concerns about Danny in some earlier scenes. Upon meeting her in person, Cam recognizes that Amy has no criminal ties. She would likely be hesitant to take the stolen money, so Cam hides the cash in the car seat that holds Will’s son.
Cam also asks Amy to forgive her husband, despite his crimes. She informs her that Will saved both her and Zach’s lives during their escape. Zach defends Will as well. While he’s still bound to his hospital bed, Zach identifies Will’s heroism to the officers that question him. Zach also gets a reunion with his partner, Mark (Cedric Sanders). Although it had been their first assignment together, Mark has been loyal to Zach throughout. He leads the chase to rescue him, having felt guilty about letting him get shot. Zach doesn’t inform anyone that it was actually Will who shot him in the beginning.
After ensuring Will’s absolution is known, Cam eventually leaves the hospital. She puts on her jacket and gets ready to get back to work. She’s ready for another day on the job. Although it’s unclear if anyone benefited from the violent heist, she recognizes that the money may help the financially challenged family. Cam seems hopeful that Amy will guide Will’s son to a more honorable life than his father.
