Val (Jerrod Carmichael) has reached a place where he feels the only way out is to end things. But he considers himself a bit of a failure—his effectiveness lacking—so he figures he could use some help. As luck would have it, Val’s best friend, Kevin (Christopher Abbott), is recovering from a failed suicide attempt, so he seems like the perfect partner for executing this double suicide plan. But before they go, they have some unfinished business to attend to.
“On the Count of Three” opens with two pals pointing pistols at each other’s faces, ready to pull their triggers at the same moment. Suddenly, the screenplay jumps back to earlier that morning. Waking up and already pissed off, Val (Jerrod Carmichael) calls up his equally depressed friend Kevin (Christopher Abbot) to suggest a deadly pact.
Star and director, Jerrod Carmichael, is a talented comedian who’s had a few standout roles but this is his most complex performance to date. The always reliable Christopher Abbot is one of the top working actors and one of the few people that has an edge. His role as Kevin is unsurprisingly bold and memorable.
Val works a meaningless job for a landscaping company selling mulch, gravel, and is only allowed two smoke breaks per shift. When he’s offered a promotion as a floor manager he takes it like it’s a fatal diagnosis. His best friend Kevin is under review at an institution for attempting suicide and somehow intelligently argues with his caseworker that his life is not worth living. Having already used up his smoke breaks Val quits and then frees Kevin from the institution. Val’s proposition to assist in killing each other leads them down a path of entertaining and touching detours.
Suicide isn’t a light issue but Carmichael’s directorial debut, paired with the thoughtful screenplay by Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, handles the delicate subject with humorous grace. Abbot and Carmichael convey such natural chemistry it’s more than believable that they’ve known each other for years. Their comedic timing is in tune with the sharp editing that cuts at the perfect moments for humor or reflection.
In its very short running time of 84 minutes, not one moment is wasted. And the clever soundtrack and confident storytelling secure this as one of the best comedies of the year.
“On the Count of Three” premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival
