Frank Pierce (Cage) is a desperate ambulance driver who is suffering from terminal burnout in his job of night shift ambo in New York City. Sinking further into despair via alcohol and a cocktail of pharmaceutical drugs, he is not helped by the sick, wounded, and strange people he encounters, or the contrasting approach of his three partners: matter-of-fact Larry (Goodman); trust-in-God Marcus (Rhames); and psychotic Tom. His only hope is the chance of a developing friendship with Mary (Arquette). This film is a ripper. Blood, guts, miracles, desperation, birth, death, humour and impalement, this film has it all. Cage is almost a walking corpse himself, and though he quits his job regularly every night, he keeps coming back until he deals with it or dies trying. So surreal at times we can almost see the serenity Frank seeks. Bringing Out the Dead is compelling and strangely satisfying.