On the Count of Three – Film Review

Val 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, 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.

Jerrod Carmichael‘s On the Count of Three opens up with a bang as we watch two young men panting heavily behind a building, standing a few feet apart from one another, each holding a loaded gun at each other’s hand, counting down to the inevitable second where they’re going to shoot each other fatally point-blank.

Not only is this opening scene absolutely pulse-pounding, but it’s made all the more shocking when, in the very next scene, we learn that these two men are best friends. Now we’re left to wonder why they got into this situation and what lead up to it. It turns out – they want to die.

Written by Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, On the Count of Three is one of the most brilliantly written films of the year so far. Even though it doesn’t even clock it at ninety minutes, this film is relentlessly paced and utilizes every single scene to its utmost potential. You’ll get so invested in this zany and oftentimes hilariously dark story that next thing you’ll know, the end credits are rolling.

A lot of this movie’s power comes from the dynamic between its stars Carmichael and Christopher Abbott. Carmichael’s character Val continuously tells Abbot’s character Kevin that he wants to commit suicide and he doesn’t care if he dies, but each time he says something like this, you can tell that maybe he doesn’t fully mean that.

Kevin, on the other hand, does. Of course, seeing as how this movie is well over an hour long, it’s pretty obvious that neither men dies in the first act. The second act is absolutely amazing because it ponders on the two men and their thoughts. If you knew that you were going to die by the end of that given day, what would you do with that day? Would you right some wrongs?

Well, not these two. Kevin sets out on quite a bloodthirsty act of revenge while Val essentially just tags along for the ride because since he’s going to die at the end of the day as well, what else does he have to lose?

I will admit that I wish this movie was a bit longer because I wanted to learn more about Val and Kevin’s past. We know a few things here and there, but some things definitely are murkier than others. Also, there’s several scenes where guns are fired indoors or around the public and yet, for some reason, nobody screams? Nobody gets alerted or anything? Movie logic.

All in all though, On the Count of Three is one of the best films of the year and an extremely impressive debut directorial effort from Jerrod Carmichael. It’s hilarious, unsettling, and powerful all at once.