Code Black

2015 • 80 minutes

About this movie

In this vivid and provocative portrait of the American health care system, doctor Ryan McGarry gives us unprecedented access to America's busiest ER at Los Angeles County Hospital. Amidst life-and-death situations, McGarry captures a team of dedicated young doctors as they struggle to reconcile their ideals with the realities of saving lives in a complex and overburdened system. Their training ground is "C-Booth," LA County's legendary trauma bay, and the birthplace of Emergency Medicine, where more people have died and been saved than in any other square footage in the US. Powerful and vital, CODE BLACK offers a tense an unforgettable doctor's-eye view into the heart of the healthcare crisis.

Ratings and reviews

Insightful documentary that exposes the harsh reality of America's two-tiered healthcare system. The doctors profiled are inspiring with their commitment to patient well-being over budgets and bureaucracy.

Very accurate chronicle of the four years of hard work many of us devoted as residents in the many departments at L.A.County-U.S.C. Hospital, including Emergency Medicine. I am honored to have trained at Old L.A.County Hospital, 1981-1985. Douglas C. Beatty, M.D.

LA native Navy Corpsman that got to train in the old ER and new. It's interesting learning more about the hardships of the staff that taught us so much.