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On the Count of Three
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Wikipedia article
'On the Count of Three' is a 2021 American black comedy film directed by Jerrod Carmichael (in his feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch. It stars Carmichael and Christopher Abbott as two friends who make a suicide pact and set out to have one final day to take care of unfinished business. Tiffany Haddish, J. B. Smoove, Lavell Crawford, and Henry Winkler also star.
The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021, and was released on May 13, 2022 by United Artists Releasing with Annapurna Pictures and Orion Pictures. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
Plot
A depressed blue-collar worker named Val tries to commit suicide in a bathroom but is unable to after his annoying co-worker enters and begins to sing. Val breaks up with his girlfriend, Natasha, and quits his job. He helps his best friend Kevin, who recently tried to commit suicide as well, escape from a psychiatric hospital. Val tells Kevin that suicide is the answer and they decide to shoot one another in the face. Kevin dodges when Val shoots. He convinces Val that they should at least celebrate their last day on Earth.
Kevin's main goal is to kill the child psychiatrist, Dr. Brenner, who molested him. However, Val and Kevin are told Dr. Brenner does not arrive to work until late in the afternoon. Val learns that Natasha is pregnant. He tells Kevin that he had planned to marry her but backed out because he was scared. The duo spends their time training at a gun range, riding dirt motorcycles at a motorcycle park owned by their friend Donny, and robbing a gas station. Val visits his father, Lyndell, at his place of work and tries to retrieve the money Lyndell had stolen from him when he was younger. The two begin to fight and Kevin hits Lyndell with a tire iron, before leaving with the money. Val goes to the jewelry store where he bought the ring for Natasha and returns it. He visits Natasha and tries to give her some of his money to support her. Natasha criticizes him and encourages him to see a therapist. In the meantime, Kevin goes on a drive. He finds a former classmate (who he ran into earlier that morning) who severely injured him with his family and contemplates killing him right then and there but changes his mind.
Late in the afternoon, Kevin goes through with his plan and visits Dr. Brenner. He forces him onto his knees and pulls the trigger, but the gun does not go off. Dr. Brenner hits Kevin and takes the gun away from him. Val arrives and kills Dr. Brenner and they escape. In the car, Val tells Kevin that he does not want to die, and that he would rather live so he can raise his child. The duo is then chased by the police. They visit Donny and give him the keys to their car before driving away on motorcycles. Val and Kevin are spotted by helicopters and they stop running. Kevin tries to convince Val that suicide is the answer to their problems but Val does not change his mind about wanting to live. Kevin tells Val to tell the police that he killed Dr. Brenner before committing suicide. Sometime later in prison, Val receives a visit from Natasha and their daughter.
Cast
* Jerrod Carmichael as Val
* Christopher Abbott as Kevin
* Tiffany Haddish as Natasha
* Henry Winkler as Dr. Brenner
* J. B. Smoove as Lyndell
* Lavell Crawford as Donny
* Jared Abrahamson as Wyatt
Production
In June 2019, it was announced Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott would star in the film, with Carmichael directing from a screenplay by Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch. In November 2019, it was announced Tiffany Haddish, Henry Winkler, J. B. Smoove and Lavell Crawford had joined the cast of the film, with David Carrico & Adam Paulsen producing under their Valparaiso Pictures banner alongside Tom Werner serving as a producer under his Werner Entertainment banner, with principal photography commencing that same month.
Release
The film had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021, where Katcher and Welch were awarded the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. Shortly after, Annapurna Pictures and MGM's Orion Pictures acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, which will be released through their joint venture, United Artists Releasing. It was released theatrically limitedly and on digital on May 13, 2022. It also released on the streaming service Hulu and labeled as part of their "Hulu Originals" on August 17, 2022.
The film's first trailer was released on April 27, 2022, beginning with a slate promoting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, the film earned $36,822 from 19 theaters in its opening weekend.Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 86% based on 104 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "It's occasionally uneven, but 'On the Count of Three' finds director/star Jerrod Carmichael attempting an ambitious blend of drama and dark comedy -- and often succeeding."David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film an A and wrote: "Like a game of Russian roulette, this is a movie that would have seemed embarrassingly stupid if things had gone wrong. Its a dangerous and somehow enjoyable movie that dances around the edge of an open wound from start to finish as it risks making light of the heaviest things that so many of its viewers will ever have to carry. But its exhilarating a little at first, and then a hell of a lot to see these characters find the kind of happiness worth dying for." Benjamin Lee of 'The Guardian' gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, saying: "While it's ultimately a little too messy to work quite as well as it could have, given the interesting and ambitious ingredients, 'On the Count of Three' is proof that Carmichael is a director to be excited about, hoping that perhaps he finds time to write his next script himself."
Accolades
References
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