Jerrod Carmichael is living courageously

OPINION: Carmichael has grown into a really powerful and surprising artist who’s unafraid to get really deep.

Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

Trigger warning: This story discusses suicide. If you or a loved one are having suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

On the Count of Three is one of the strangest dark comedies I’ve seen in a long time. Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott star as two young men who are so depressed that they vow to kill each other in a double murder-suicide pact. Early on they’re about to do it. They both have handguns pointing at each other, and they’re counting down from three, but then one of them says stop. They realize they need a little more time. One more day to say goodbyes and set certain things in order. And perhaps to really explore once more if life is worth living. So off they go into a long, wild, unforgettable day. This is a movie that’ll press all your buttons and have you unsure who to root for. They’re not really heroes or villains but complicated guys with not much time left to live.

Suicide is widely perceived as a “white thing,” but Black people commit suicide, too. According to  a recent study by Rheeda Walker, a psychology professor at the University of Houston, “Over the last decade, today! 

The post Jerrod Carmichael is living courageously appeared first on TheGrio.