AMBULANCE (2022)
An intense, morally serious thriller for discerning adults.
Should You Watch It?
AMBULANCE is a wild, intense ride through the streets of Los Angeles. Its strongest idea is also its clearest: life is precious. The movie gives that belief moral weight through heartfelt reflections on life and death, especially as Will keeps siding in favor of life and Cam becomes more compassionate.
The cost is substantial. The film contains many strong obscenities and extreme, bloody violence, including shootings, corpses, deliberately planted explosions, and people held hostage. Its moral outlook is also complicated by some moral relativism: criminals are rewarded because they try to save lives.
The movie earns its three stars through compelling characters, absorbing action, and a moving moral center, even though its editing, sound, and storytelling sometimes fail. If you are a discerning adult or older teenager who can handle the content, it is worth seeing; for children and young teens, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESWill Sharp needs money for his wife’s expensive surgery. He turns to his criminal brother, Danny, who persuades him to join a major bank heist in downtown Los Angeles.
When the robbery erupts into a violent shootout, the brothers hijack an ambulance carrying a seriously wounded young police officer. With a female paramedic trapped inside, Danny and Will race through the city while trying to keep the officer alive and escape the police.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means AMBULANCE is engrossing and often absorbing, but noticeably uneven. The characters are well-written, and the movie’s wild chase through Los Angeles gives it energy. Its heartfelt reflections on life and death add genuine substance beyond the action.
The execution is less consistent. The editing becomes too frenetic and chopped up in places, taking the reviewer out of the story’s flow. Danny convinces Will to join the heist too easily, and the film contains apparent plot holes, unbelievable situations, and unbelievable dialogue. Still, the characters and moral conflict give the thriller weight.
The Worldview
AMBULANCE presents a strong moral, pro-life worldview centered on the belief that life is precious. It suggests that people are more fulfilled and happier when they believe this and act accordingly. Will repeatedly sides with preserving life, while Danny is less reliable when survival becomes personal. The film’s final images provide a moving coda to that conflict.
The movie also contains some moral relativism. A thief and his wife are rewarded because he tries to save people’s lives, even though he has participated in a bank robbery and other crimes. The film includes a male FBI agent with a homosexual “husband,” who kisses his forehead before leaving for a crime scene. These elements complicate an otherwise strong moral framework.
The film’s central truth—that life is precious—aligns with Scripture’s teaching that every human life is known and made by God: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral, pro-life worldview concludes that life is precious, but is some moral relativism and thief and his wife, who needs an expensive surgery, are rewarded because he tries to save people’s lives, plus a male FBI agent has a homosexual “husband,” and he kisses his forehead as he leaves their therapy session to go to a crime scene
Foul Language
114 obscenities, six Jesus profanities and two GD profanities
Violence
Lots of very strong and strong, sometimes bloody, violence, such as a huge gunfight between bank robbers and police, images of corpses (some bloody), some bad guys plant an automatically firing machine gun in a driverless car, and a dead police captain is shown with bloody wounds from the gun, deliberately planted explosions, two bank robbers have a big gunfight with criminals who want to hold their two hostages so they can murder them because they’ve seen too much, woman shoots a man by accident, bank robber gets trapped under a van, and his legs are clearly broken when his body is pulled out from under the van, man holds gun to female paramedic’s head, people shoot other people
Sex
No sex scenes, but a male FBI has a homosexual “husband” and kisses him goodbye on the forehead when he leaves for a crime scene
Nudity
Partial upper male nudity during medical procedure
Alcohol Use
No alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Strong miscellaneous immorality includes men rob a bank, two men hijack an ambulance and hold the female paramedic and a seriously wounded police officer hostage, thieves try to trick their way out of police custody, snipers fire at thieves but miss, two bank robbers have a big gunfight with criminals who want to hold their two hostages so they can murder them because they’ve seen too much, man lies to his wife.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film argues that life is precious. What choices show respect for life, even when people have made serious mistakes?
Psalm 139:13–16 · Matthew 22:37–39Will tries to protect life while participating in a violent crime. Can a good goal justify a wrong action?
Romans 3:8 · Micah 6:8Cam begins by keeping emotional distance from the people she treats, then becomes more compassionate. What does love of neighbor require from us?
Luke 10:25–37 · Philippians 2:3–4The brothers respond differently when survival is at stake. What does Scripture teach about choosing faithfulness over fear?
Proverbs 29:25 · 2 Timothy 1:7The Final Word
AMBULANCE is a gripping action thriller with well-written characters and a serious belief in the value of life. Its uneven filmmaking, extreme violence, strong profanity, and moral complications make it a choice for discerning adults only. The answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For a safer family night, see.
