Movie Review: On the Count of Three

Part of what makes Jerrod Carmichael such a force as an artist is the fearlessness, honesty and vulnerability that sits at the center of his work. This gift that is typically seen on stage during his standup sets carried over to his film directorial debut On the Count of Three, which finally received a proper (but still far too limited) release in the United States last Friday after debuting at Sundance back in January 2021. 

On the Count of Three boasts a premise that doesn't exactly scream comedy: Two lifelong friends (Carmichael, Christopher Abbott) agree to kill themselves after spending one final day bonding and attempting to gain closure with the people that they've wronged or been wronged by (Tiffany Haddish, JB Smoove, Henry Winkler, Lavell Crawford, Jared Abrahamson). Behind Carmichael's careful vision and the similarly fearless Abbott-who continues to be at the top of the list of most unheralded veteran actors working today-acting his ass off alongside him, On the Count of Three is able to find humor and heart in the dark voids of depression, trauma and loneliness without glossing over the severity of the pain they cause the people that live with the burden of them every day.

At its core, On the Count of Three is more or less a buddy movie that's set into motion by a bleak set of circumstances. Val (Carmichael) and Kevin (Abbott) are two guys at the end of their rope with the world and their planned final day among the living is their way of trying to leave the world with at least some degree of peace and clarity. Their journey for answers provides them with much more than they bargained for as they're forced to reflect on the people/situations that pushed them into a situation where they felt like they couldn't continue living. 

The variety of curveballs this quest for closure gives them leads to a script that is occasionally underdeveloped, but honestly those imperfections make the film more realistic and powerful. Human beings and the relationships that often define our existence are too messy to lead to clean endings most of the time and On the Count of Three acknowledges that with the lack of easy resolutions that it provides to the bulk of the character's fractured relationships and long-term vendettas. Even with most of their problems ultimately not being resolved by the somewhat unexpected climax of the film, Val and Kevin do develop a degree of acceptance towards these things that have tormented them for years and a greater appreciation for their relationship with each other- which makes their adventure far sweeter and more optimistic than expected. When the feelings of melancholy are mixed in with joy at the end of a movie that has a really edgy premise means the delicate dance between comedy and tragedy was pulled off with an impressive degree of grace, which is a hell of a feat for a first-time filmmaker who doesn't even a ton of acting experience under his belt to pull off.

Grade: B+