Jerrod Carmichael makes his directorial debut at Sundance this weekend with a true marvel of pitch-black comedy, "On the Count of Three." Given that its main plot-point is suicide, the movie contains a whole set of obstacles a lot of filmmakers spend their careers avoiding. But Carmichael quickly establishes himself as a director you can trust on a wild emotional ride, and a creator of expanding talents with an invigorating approach to entertainment. “On the Count of Three” is the type of risky project that when done right proves a great, fearless storyteller. Advertisement The film's airtight script, by Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, starts with the central hook of two friends ready to shoot each other—their shared goal is to die by the end of the day. “I think about it all the time,” confesses Val (Carmichael) after Kevin (Christopher Abbott) sees the guns. “It brings me relief.” He's just broken Kevin out of a psych ward, after Kevin tried to commit suicide with pills days earlier, and Val feels like that means Kevin will do him a solid and die with him. This is the type of darkness that the movie is filled with from start to finish, and Carmichael knows that the audience will always be able to squint and see a heartwarming of two buddies who love each other. He doesn’t overplay either the immense heaviness, or the select bits of light that shine through and give “On the Count of Three” its vital dynamic. Carmichael mastered the opposite balance of heavy and light material with his underrated, thoughtful sitcom "The Jerrod Carmichael Show," and with his feature debut he shows just how capable he is with tone over 90 minutes.