Black Flies
Black Flies is a 2023 American thriller drama film directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and written by Ryan King and Ben Mac Brown, based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Shannon Burke. It stars Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Katherine Waterston, Michael Pitt, Mike Tyson, and Raquel Nave. The film premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2023 and is set to be released theatrically by Open Road Films. Premise
In preparation for medical school, Ollie Cross joins veteran paramedic Gene Rutkovsky on a drive through New York City. Cast
 Tye Sheridan as Ollie Cross
 Sean Penn as Gene Rutkovsky
 Katherine Waterston as Nancy
 Michael Pitt
 Mike Tyson as Chief Burroughs
 Raquel Nave

Production
Black Flies is an adaptation of the 2008 novel of the same name by Shannon Burke. In December 2018, Ryan King's screenplay for the film was featured on the Black List, an annual survey of the most-liked yet unproduced scripts of the year. By February 2019, Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire came on board to direct, with Mel Gibson and Tye Sheridan in final negotiations to star. In February 2021, Sean Penn replaced Gibson in one of the lead roles and was reported that Open Road Films had acquired the U.S. distribution rights. Katherine Waterston, Michael Pitt, Mike Tyson, and Raquel Nave were announced to star in the following months. Filming began in May 2022 in New York City with cinematographer David Ungaro. Release
Black Flies had its world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2023, where it competed for the Palme d'Or and will be released theatrically by Open Road Films. The film was seeking United States distribution out of Cannes. Reception

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 47% based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 41 out of 100, based on 8 critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Eric Ortiz Garcia of Screen Anarchy wrote that the film "finds its power reflecting the brutal level of stress inherent in this profession... Sauvaire makes his mission explicit: to raise awareness about those paramedics who are completely overwhelmed. That's something the filmmaker achieves." Tori Brazier of Metro wrote, "Black Flies is a grim tale, and not a recommended watch for the more delicate cinema fan, but its message and lack of subtlety certainly hit home." Pete Hammond of Deadline wrote that the film had a "game cast and nice mostly handheld camera work by David Ungaro" but that it failed to offer anything new, and repeated plot points already covered in Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out the Dead (1999). The Guardians Peter Bradshaw concurred, writing that the "sub-Schraderesque" film was "trading on old ideas", and criticized its lack of female paramedic representation. David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote, "Black Flies is such an unrelentingly bleak look inside the busted gut of the American healthcare system that its posturing honesty soon curdles into something that's hard to believe." Awards and nominations

References

External links
 

2023 films
2023 thriller films
2020s American films
2020s English-language films
American thriller films
Films based on American novels
Films directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
Films set in New York City
Films shot in New York City
Medical-themed films
Open Road Films films