Suicide for Beginners (2022): A Farcical Journey

Suicide for Beginners (2022)

Insecure and unhinged, Garrett is dead set on murdering the unrequited love of his life, Mia. When he comes face to face with his victim, his awkward incompetence takes over and things quickly spiral out of control as he finds himself on a deranged path to becoming a serial killer.

Written by Ethan Hunter and Craig Thieman

Directed by Craig Thieman

Suicide for Beginners (2022): A Farcical Journey

Writing the perfect suicide note is not easy.

Garrett (Will Daniels) is not having a good time. The object of his unrequited affection is sleeping with his friend, Ben (Christian Rozakis) and he feels betrayed. Being unhinged, Garrett’s solution involves kidnapping Mia (Sara Tomko) and staging her suicide in some form of ill-conceived revenge.

As Rick (Nate Panning) delivers Pizza and his girlfriend Abigail (Julia Lehman) bakes a cake for Garrett, in whom she can see the sadness, Suicide for Beginners spirals out of control into a farcical dark comedy of errors, murder, and cameos from Sid Haig and Corey Feldman.

Garrett ends up with a lot more than he bargained for in a garage full of kidnapped friends and neighbours.

Suicide for Beginners is a daft film. It pushes the envelope of believability to the limit with the characters behaving in ridiculous ways, but that is why it works so well; it doesn’t take itself seriously. At All. It just wants to have fun, and relishes in its own absurdity to present a masterclass in escalation and dark farce.

The cast are great, all doing a great job of pulling in the laughs. Garrett almost starts off as a tragic hero, before quickly descending into the incel that he clearly is. Sid Haig and Corey Feldman are legends and can do no wrong to be fair. Very sad to be thinking this was probably one of Sid’s last films but, if it was, I think he went out on a high.

The standout for me though was Rick, the Pizza delivery guy and his girlfriend Abigail. Rick steals the show with all the best one liners, and the odd couple relationship between him and Abigail is a lot of fun. Ignoring anyone who actually dies in the movie, Rick really suffers the most and, while I guess that might be a bit of a spoiler, that’s all you get, so you will have to watch the film to find out whether or not Garrett’s plans come to fruition.

Okay, may one small spoiler. One of the best moments of the movie involved a “reveal” of monumental proportions which leads to a montage of killing that just keeps getting better and better. The audience at the Screams by the Sea festival were roaring with laughter at this point, a clear highlight of the movie.

I am trying to think of something negative to say about the film for balance, and I just can’t. Hunter and Thieman have developed a script and film with plenty of sight gags, pratfalls and one-liners to crack a smile on even the most cynical face. Well, maybe not if you read the reviews on IMDB. I have seen a lot of quite negative reviews on IMDB and just don’t see it (it is faring better on Rotten Tomatoes). Criticisms around the acting and script, as well as complaints around continuity, but I didn’t find any of those things a problem. I don’t know if I have a low bar, or if some people just need to lighten up? 

Okay, one thing. Perhaps the script/jokes are more geared towards an American audience, but that is stretching it and the audience I was with were enjoying it regardless.

While Suicide for Beginners is not a perfect film (whatever the hell a perfect film is) it is just bloody good fun. It probably helped watching it at a film festival, surrounded by dozens of people with a shared love of horror, but the crowd were onside from the opening scenes and there were no jokes, that I remember, which didn’t land and raise a smile, snigger or guffaw.

Suicide for Beginners is still doing the rounds at festivals, but is also currently available to stream on Amazon Prime in the UK. If you have a subscription, what have you got to lose by giving it a go?

Further Reading

Horror movie fans looking to deepen their appreciation for the genre should definitely check out the Horror Movie Review section of Ginger Nuts of Horror. This platform is a treasure trove of insights, critiques, and discussions that resonate with both casual viewers and dedicated aficionados alike.

Firstly, the reviews are penned by passionate writers who understand the intricacies of horror filmmaking. They delve deep into the elements that make each film unique, from unsettling visuals to compelling sound design, offering a comprehensive analysis that goes beyond superficial impressions. Such in-depth reviews can enhance viewers’ understanding and appreciation of the genre, revealing layers of meaning and intention that may go unnoticed during a first watch.

Lastly, with its focus on both mainstream and indie films, the Horror Movie Review section is an excellent resource to stay updated on upcoming releases and trends in the horror landscape. For any horror buff, exploring The Ginger Nuts of Horror Review Website is an essential step toward a deeper connection with the genre.