A la de tres

On the Count of Three is a beautiful film about friendship, empathy, and mental health. The two main characters, Kevin and Val, are lifelong pals who would do literally anything for each other. These bosom buddies are currently at the end of their ropes and see no way out of their situations but to end their lives. Forming a suicide pact, they set out on a journey to savor their last day on Earth, embarking on adventures of a tragicomic nature. An oft-underrated actor, Christopher Abbott delivers a stellar performance worthy of accolades. Carmichael on the other hand proves himself as an adept director with a bright future ahead. One last note: Kudos to the person in charge of music! Truly aced it. Go Team Indie Movies!

Solidly directed, splendidly acted, and wholly hilarious and witty while never losing its sharp edge of dark profound observations on life, loss, and purpose.

I was surprised how the script manages to handle so many subplots and themes with grace and care, with none of them ever overshadowing the others.

The characters are all monumentally flawed, saying and doing things that I certainly didn't agree with, but that's what made for such a satisfying human experience.

Tiffany Haddish is in the movie for less than 5 minutes and she manages to portray what is arguably her best character on screen. That alone makes this movie worth checking out.

This was a great directorial debut by actor/lead in this film, Jerrod Carmichael. However the two writers, Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, missed an opportunity to create something great with this concept, but instead it was just good. Don't get me wrong, it was a very good idea that was perfectly cast and performed, with an amazing soundtrack and score, but the writing was missing the cohesion and balance it needed to be great. The humor in this dark comedy mostly hits the mark, but felt restrictive with not enough laughs. It also lacked emotional depth and narrative structure, and the subject matter felt too skimmed over to have much of an impact. Still, a decent one-time watch.

I had the awards pass so in total I saw 7 films and with respect to CODA this was my top pick of the year.

Go ahead and try to explain the plot to someone and make yourself sound sane. A comedy about a man (Carmichael) finds out his best friend (Abbott) tried to kill himself 3 days prior and now wants them both to end their own lives. The subtlety in Camichael's performance is absolutely fantastic. When watching the film just take note of his level of emotion he is showing in each scene and how it changes as the film moves on. It is most interesting when he isn't talking. It is expertly done by someone known for just comedy. Abbott also shines as the damaged and crazed friend with 1999 Justin Timberlake hair who is dangerous one minute and sweet the next. The comedy lands throughout the film and this is because the film trusts it's audience to understand what is satire and what isn't. Their is no crowd-pleasing apology scene for its subject matter. No monologues about what we learned today. The film knows what it is and it's done well. I watched it with someone who was personally affected by suicide and he thought it was handled well. However if you're easily triggered this is not the film for you... and that is okay. Overall some production design could mildly improve it does look cheap at times but this was a fantastic film with great performances and the award winning script at Sundance. Don't miss it!

With the cast for this movie, I was expecting more comedy than drama. I was surprised that I got the opposite. This movie touches on mental health, society as a whole, the challenges in life, trauma, friendship and more. This film is gripping and you really beignets invested in both characters. The film was the perfect length too. Worths. Watch.