It’s been a long wait for the release of Jerrod Carmichael’s sharp, darkly funny debut On the Count of Three. After premiering at Sundance Film Festival last year, Annapurna Pictures and Orion Pictures have now finally set a May 13 release in theaters and on digital, well-timed after Carmichael’s new stand-up special. Ahead of the release, the first trailer has now arrived for the film which follows Carmichael and Christopher Abbott’s characters as they live out their final day before a suicide pact.
I said in my review, “Considering the raw, uncomfortable truths found in Jerrod Carmichael’s comedy, the logline of his directorial debut shouldn’t come as a surprise: two friends make a pact to end their lives and experience one final day together before plans to carry through with the dual deeds. Though not scripted by Carmichael himself, The Carmichael Show writer-producer Ari Katcher and his Ramy co-writer Ryan Welch have crafted a character-focused story with layers of necessary darkness and pathos while still injecting humor that mostly feels like a natural fit considering the subject matter. As to be expected, Taste of Cherry this is not, but with its layers of despair and dark comedy mixed with genuine friendship, Carmichael owes a bit to Mikey and Nicky in this ride-or-die, last-day-in-a-life outing. Even if the last act doesn’t succeed as intended, On the Count of Three threads the difficult task of finding the humor in hopelessness while not exploiting the genuine pain of severe depression.”
See the trailer and poster below.
On the Count of Three arrives in theaters and digitally on May 13.