The opening sequence of Jerrod Carmichael’s feature-length debut On the Count of Three shows a revolver being pointed inches from the face of Kevin (Christopher Abbott – It Comes At Night, First Man), a thirty-something man with swollen eyes and a twitching mouth that suggests that something terrible is about to happen to him. Then, the camera shifts to Val (Carmichael – Neighbors, The Disaster Artist), who has a similar firearm in his hand, pointing it at Kevin. Are these two men adversaries, attempting to make the other lower their gun with the threat to shoot?
Val and Kevin are far from enemies. They are best friends, each suffering from severe depression. The duo has made a suicide pack (by each pulling his trigger on the other at the count of three), and, as the pair stands in an abandoned back alley of a strip on a chilly morning, we suspect this might be their final moments, perhaps assuming that the rest of the film is a flashback. This proves not entirely true after we hear a single gunshot followed by the shouting of one of the men’s voices. We’ll revisit this scene later in the movie, though it won’t be at its climax.
We spend our time with either Val or Kevin throughout the film, often with both of them together. While the best friends’ personalities, characteristics, and behaviors differ significantly, their despair has brought them to this joint decision. Each wants to escape the pain that has haunted them for as long as they can remember.
When we first meet Kevin, he is in a mental institution after his most recent suicide attempt. His mode, tempered at first as he tries to convince a young, inexperienced therapist that he is okay and that she writes in her notes that he is okay for discharge, becomes volatile when she disagrees with his belief that he is fit for society again. He shouts, throws things, and verbally abuses his therapist. Kevin isn’t a bad person. He is clinically depressed, frustrated that he hadn’t succeeded in his most recent attempt. The idea that he is where he is, forced to experience the same relentless gloom he had tried valiantly to escape from, becomes too much.
Val appears as if he has his life a bit more together. However, appearances can often be very deceiving. Val is in a relationship, albeit tumultuous at times. He has a child on the way. He has a steady blue-collar job that he hates, but one in which he learns he will have a promotion opportunity in the future. While one might view his life as purposeful and even one of envy, it does not offer Val joy. He’s not doing well. Yet, he foils his inner turmoil with external composure. So perhaps we are surprised when, after Val learns of his promotion opportunity, he tries to hang himself with his belt in his company’s bathroom stall moments later. Or perhaps it’s not so surprising. Maybe those of us who live with depression can see it in his eyes, the delayed reactions in his body, or how he handles himself in conversations with co-workers.
Kevin and Val contrast each other sharply. His depression comes in the form of rage. His backstory includes one of molestation, bullying, and rejection. He’s angry. He’s loud. He’s reached a point where he is no longer willing to bite his tongue or let people who have hurt him off the hook. His highlighted hair and bright-colored coat not so subtly show a visible distinction from Val, whose depression comes in the form of sadness so profound that even the promise of somewhat of a new start with a child isn’t enough to dent his hopelessness. He prefers to hide out in the background. He can share his innermost thoughts and be his most authentic self with Kevin, something he cannot do with the woman with whom he will raise a child.
Val has a last-minute reservation about pulling the trigger and sealing each other’s forever fate. He convinces Kevin to live one more day out. They will go through with their plan. Kevin reluctantly agrees. As the day plays out, we find our leads to be heartwarming, charming, and even humorous men who cannot seem to chase away their demons, not through not trying. Kevin is seen at one point rattling off the treatments and medications he has tried, all to no avail. They spend the day in Kevin’s van, first doing nothing more than joyriding and sharing stories before delving into circumstances surrounding their current anguish and trying to right the wrongs of some who hurt them by hurting them back. This is where the film goes down a more absurd path than I thought it needed. However, the black comedy is thickly laid and sometimes lightens the tone of such a serious subject matter. There aren’t any laugh-out-loud moments, but the film is not entirely doomsday, even though we know how it will ultimately conclude.
These two men have dipped so far into depression that they don’t believe there to be a way out. Desperation can lead to irrational decisions. Putting myself into each of their shoes, I understand some of their actions. Knowing that they will die by their own hands in a matter of hours, they want those who have hurt them not necessarily to pay for their actions but, at the same time, not to be able to hurt others. I won’t get into how Val and Kevin attempt to seek vengeance against those who have hurt them, but I want to say that some sequences, while extreme, are not glorified. And while there is some violence, it is subdued. And, yes, more seems to happen in a single day than most of us could in a week, but their timetable magnifies their determination. Carmichael was going for subtly whenever possible.
On the Count of Three has slipped through the cracks. I recommend it if you have a loved one you worry about regarding severe depression. If you suffer from severe depression, it’s a reserved recommendation, but more when you are on an upswing than a downswing. Like any work of art on suicide, err on caution when considering viewing this film. There may be emotional triggers for which you are ill-prepared. Its grave subject matter may dip well into your comfort zone. The movie does a fantastic job of abstaining from topics of religion, judgment, preachy tones, and answers. Instead, we are exposed to suicidal men who have convinced themselves that, after so many failed efforts, their situations will not improve and that they can’t bear waking up even one more day in a world that has failed them.
Plot 9.5/10
Character Development 9/10 (the characters are flushed out pretty well over a single day, though I don’t know if the constant change in revelations would occur so frequently and with such ease, though, not having experienced such a situation myself wouldn’t have that kind of insight)
Character Chemistry 9/10
Acting 8/10
Screenplay 8/10
Directing 8.5/10
Cinematography 8/10
Sound 8/10
Hook and Reel 8.5/10 (the opening scene will grab you…you may or may not let go)
Universal Relevance 8/10 (while delving into a critical topic, this movie takes it to the extreme in more areas than one)
85.5%
Plot 9.5/10
Character Development 9/10 (the characters are flushed out pretty well over a single day, though I don’t know if the constant change in revelations would occur so frequently and with such ease, though, not having experienced such a situation myself wouldn’t have that kind of insight)
Character Chemistry 9/10
Acting 8/10
Screenplay 8/10
Directing 8.5/10
Cinematography 8/10
Sound 8/10
Hook and Reel 8.5/10 (the opening scene will grab you…you may or may not let go)
Universal Relevance 8/10 (while delving into a critical topic, this movie takes it to the extreme in more areas than one)
85.5%
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