'Suicide for Beginners' is a horror comedy that follows Garrett, - an unhinged individual dead set on resolving his issues with Mia – an unrequited love interest. Things take a turn for the worst after a pizza delivery guy and his girlfriend get involved.
The film opens on Garrett pondering suicide, the way in which one may choose to go out and the note that they would leave behind. In writing said note, we are then show he is composing it for Mia, currently tied up in her own basement. To put her at ease, Garrett orders pizza, delivered by Rick, who starts talking with Garrett and later relays the troubled individuals musings to his girlfriend Abigail. Worried, Abi decides to intervene, leading to Garrett tying both her and Rick up alongside Mia. Soon, Mia’s landlord Barry comes by to fix the roof, inadvertently also being trapped by Garrett.
It is revealed that Garrett had accidentally killed his room-mate, and Mia’s boyfriend, serving as the inciting incident for Garrett to set his mind to killing Mia for not being interested in a relationship with him. Thereafter a neighbourhood kid sees Garrett and his hostages, leading to a killing spree where Garrett gets rid of anyone and everyone who gets in his way, racking up a considerable body count in the cul-de-sac.
On his return to Mia’s house, he starts picking off his captives one by one, shooting Barry, electrocuting Rick and leaving Mia hanging by her neck. When going after Abigail and the kid, Mia manages to escape with the help of Rick, who turns out to have survived, and teams up with the others to handle Garrett. Interspersed with the credits are interview-like scenes of the survivors musing about what had transpired as Garrett hangs from a noose in the background.
‘Suicide for Beginners’ is a black comedy that takes dark and twisted turns in following Garrett’s descent into becoming a serial killer. Initially the tone of the feature is quite tame and comedic, introducing us to Garret as he seemingly ramps up for suicide, almost making him sympathetic, begging the question for why he’d want to check-out early. The film then shifts to a much darker tale, after we discover Mia in the basement, hitting the viewer out of left field, re-introducing Garrett as a disturbed person, slowly starting to reveal his wicked nature and warped view of reality.
This being the core of the film, the clash of Garrett’s perception of reality and how things really are plays out well in terms of the obstacles he must overcome in his mind and the comedy to which that leads. Opposing Garrett is Mia, trying at every turn to get out of the situation, she reasons with Garrett, yet realising that his mind cannot be changed, takes a firmer stance and decides to play the game by his rules, eventually ending his life. The film works well in showing the unreasonable expectations Garrett has towards Mia, and the strength with which she must escape his plans for her.
The film doesn’t take itself too seriously though, leaning into quirky and dark comedic musings, best of which is showcased through Rick and Abigail – a couple that quarrel, break up mid-capture and eventually find their way back to each other after surviving the murder spree. For the most part the film plays into the humorous aspects of the story until Garrett is forced to take a more brutal approach into keeping the situation under control, leading to one of the most violent and hilarious kill-sprees ever showcased as Garrett mows down a slew of neighbours, one leading to the other, just to keep his plan under wraps.
Working with a tight budget, the film makes great use of a number of small sets, giving the movie an almost claustrophobic feel in which Garrett’s manic energy finds its way to encroaching on the viewer, working to the advantage of the film in delivering a number of suspenseful scenes and highlighting the chaotic intensity that surrounds Garrett.
At the helm of the story is Garrett, played by Wil Daniels, who goes all out on portraying a disturbed individual, living by his own perception of the world, unwilling to let anything or anyone stand in the way of actualising his plans. Playing opposite him is Sara Tomko, portraying Mia as an understandably annoyed captive who has to find the strength to break free of Garrett’s plans for her. Complimenting their performances are Nate Panning and Julia Lehman as Rick and Abigail respectively, delivering great supporting performances and managing to draw the viewers into their separate microcosm of misery, as the two stumble into the unfortunate situation, yet somehow manage to make it about themselves and their troubles, working very much to in favour of the film.
‘Suicide for Beginners’ is an unhinged and amusing movie that goes off the rails after some admittedly asinine and chaotic choices made for or by Garrett, leading to a funny and intense tale of unfortunate events. The film takes a minute to get going, but once it does, it forces the viewer to root for Garrett’s captives, leaving us in suspense as to the fate of Mia and the rest of the gang until the closing scene. Yes, it’s silly, but if you’re willing to suspend disbelief and take on what the movie is throwing at you, you’ll be able to enjoy the savage and hysterical trip that is ‘Suicide for Beginners’.
Score: 3/4
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