Asphalt City

Asphalt City (originally titled and released in some countries as 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 Black Flies by Shannon Burke. It stars Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Raquel Nave, Kali Reis, Michael Pitt, Katherine Waterston, and Mike Tyson.
The film premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2023. It was released theatrically by Roadside Attractions and Vertical on March 29, 2024.
== Premise ==
Rookie paramedic Ollie Cross hopes to pass the Medical College Admission Testand become a doctor. The film follows his partnership with veteran paramedic Gene Rutkovsky as they serve the people of New York City.
== Cast ==
*Tye Sheridan as Cross
*Michael Pitt as Lafontaine
*Sean Penn as Gene Rutkovsky
*Mike Tyson as Chief Burroughs
*Gbenga Akinnagbe as Verdis
*Raquel Nave as Clara
*Katherine Waterston as Nancy
*Kali Reis as Nia Brown
== Production ==
In December 2018, Ryan King's screenplay Black Flies, based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Shannon Burke, 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. It was produced by Sculptor Media, FilmNation Entertainment and Projected Picture Works.
== Release ==
The film had its world premiere as Black Flies at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2023, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. The film was originally set to be released in the United States by Open Road Films.
In January 2024, Vertical and Roadside Attractions acquired North American rights to the film, which was renamed Asphalt City, and released it exclusively in theaters on March 29.
== Reception ==
 
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." Tim Robey of The Telegraph awarded the movie three stars out of five, calling it "Arrestingly grim, Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's corpses-and-all look at the life of a rookie first responder is a scuzzyily compelling ride."
== External links ==
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== References ==
Category:2023 films
Category:2023 thriller films
Category:2020s American films
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:American thriller films
Category:Films based on American novels
Category:Films directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
Category:Films set in New York City
Category:Films shot in New York City
Category:FilmNation Entertainment films
Category:Medical-themed films
Category:Roadside Attractions films
Category:Vertical Entertainment films