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SUNDANCE 2021 REVIEW
ON THE COUNT OF THREE
By Danny Munso
Jerrod Carmichael has always had a lot to say. Whether it was through his thought-provoking stand-up sets or through the heady topics he waded into with his NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show, he has always been interested in exploring the darker sides of human nature and providing deep commentary on it without judgement or shame. He enjoys posing questions, even if he knows there are no easy answers.
It’s not surprising that the script for On the Count of Three – penned by Ari Katcher & Ryan Welch – would be the one Carmichael made his feature directorial debut with. Katcher co-created The Carmichael Show and both writers co-created Remy, a series which Carmichael produces. And Carmichael has been moving toward filmmaking for a while, helming a series of documentary shorts for HBO about his life and family.
Predictably, On the Count of Three deals with a lot. The film follows best friends Val (Carmichael) and Kevin (Christopher Abbott) who are both suicidal and make a pact to shoot one another after they spend one final day together. If that sounds like heady subject matter, it certainly is. In true Carmichael fashion, the movie doesn’t shy away from giving its thoughts on a multitude of subjects. Val and Kevin’s various discussion on guns are enlightening (“They give insecure men illusions of power,” Kevin says at one point, before becoming drunk on that power himself later on the film.) There’s also a poignant moment where Kevin feels the need to apologize to his friend for how their small town has treated him as Black man. The chemistry between Carmichael and Abbot is letter-perfect. It’s incredibly easy to believe that these two friends have such a rich history and love one another so much that they would be willing to put a bullet in each other’s heads to stop their friend’s anguish.
The script and Carmichael’s direction present a master class in tone. An early scene features a fed up Val attempting to hang himself in a bathroom stall at work as an oblivious co-worker sings Travis Tritt’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive.” It’s dark comedy at his finest. But what is special about the film is the way it never uses humor to undermine the torture its two main characters are going through. There’s a running gag throughout the movie about Kevin’s obsession with Papa Roach’s late-90’s rock hit “Last Resort.” In one sequence, Kevin is speeding down the highway blasting the song, singing as loud as possible. It’s objectively funny, particularly if you are of a certain age. But as the song continues, the darkness of the lyrics take hold and Kevin’s face reads plainly: he’s not singing the song out of enjoyment, but out of pain.
The script is restricted by the strict timeline the story establishes for itself. Because of this, the film almost feels too short, with a running time under 90 minutes. There’s absolutely something to be said for the brevity of the work and it’s impressive how much the film communicates in that abbreviated time. But it feels one or two scenes short of true brilliance. There are relationships that go underexplored, particularly with Val and his pregnant girlfriend (Tiffany Haddish). Kevin’s family is largely ignored as well. But this is still a spectacular, standout debut film and announces Carmichael as the narrative filmmaking force his longtime fans always knew he would be.
For more info on On the Count of Three, visit its official Sundance page HERE.
DIRECTED BY: Jerrod Carmichael
WRITTEN BY: Ari Katcher & Ryan Welch
PRODUCED BY: David Carrico, Adam Paulsen, Tom Werner, Jake Densen, Ari Katcher, Jimmy Price
STARRING: Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, Tiffany Haddish, J.B. Smoove, Henry Winkler
This year the Sundance Film Festival is online – which means you can join in on the fun from anywhere in the world! While some films are sold out – tickets do become available sometimes at the last minute so make sure browse the catalog for a film you’d like to see and check for ticket availability here.
Want to read some interviews with today’s top storytellers? We hope you’ll check out our in-depth interviews or read a cool screenplay in its entirety in Backstory Magazine! You can read us on a desktop/laptop or via our iPad app. You can see Issue 42’s Table of Contents – or we hope you will consider – Subscribing or buying a single issue!
If you decide to subscribe – please use code: SAVE5 to save $5 off your one year subscription in the checkout cart on our website. Your login credentials will work both on a desktop/laptop or via our iPad app.