WARNING: PLEASE BE AWARE THIS REVIEW CONTAINS DETAILS OF A CONFRONTING THEME
In Jerrod Carmichael’s dramatic comedy On the Count of Three two uninspired, 30-something mates decide to end things for good.
Kevin (Christopher Abbott) has been in and out of therapy since the age of 8. He was in foster care and was abused by his psychiatrist. Three days ago he tried once again to take his life (by overdose), so – not surprisingly – he has been institutionalised. Now, he is trying to trick his therapist into believing everything is okay.
His best friend from school days, Val (director Carmichael), is in a dead-end job he can’t stand, so he resigns. He was treated shamefully by his estranged father and has cut off contact with his girlfriend, Natasha (Tiffany Haddish). Val, too, decides life is no longer worth living. So, he busts Kevin out of care and comes up with a plan for the pair of them to shoot each other behind a strip joint in broad daylight. Only, at the last moment, Kevin decides he wants the rest of the day before they “do the deed”.
Without any fixed idea of what to do next, the pair drive around in Val’s car cleaning up loose ends. First up, while eating a meal together, Kevin is confronted by a former schoolmate who bullied him. Val pays a visit to his estranged father and meets up with his angry girlfriend. Kevin confronts his childhood psychiatrist. Kevin and Val also go dirt bike racing, after visiting their former employer.
A lot goes down in this wild ride, a commentary on the burden of mortality, filled with gallows humour. The script is the work of Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch. They worked together on the ongoing TV series Ramy, while Katcher collaborated with Carmichael on The Carmichael Show (2015-17).
What struck me immediately was the deadpan delivery of Carmichael and Abbott. The subject of ending one’s life is hardly to be taken lightly and yet the discussions about it are matter-of-fact. One line early on really struck a chord: “I think about it (ending my life) all the time and it brings me comfort … relief.” Although there’s an attitude shift as events play out, Kevin and Val are two guys trying to navigate the world and yet not finding positive answers.
I liked the fact that there are few, if any, signals as to what is going to go down next. Things just happen and Kevin and Val do what they do and say what they say instinctively. It appears everything they touch turns sour. They’re sad, vulnerable and apathetic. Carmichael and Abbott make a droll and compelling duo. In contrast, Haddish brings a no-nonsense attitude to her portrayal of Val’s girlfriend Natasha.
On the Count of Three is a darker variant of the buddy comedy. Its target audience is generation now. Suffice to say, I found something strangely compelling about it.
Alex First
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Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.