It’s like finding a needle in a haystack. There are so many movies out there, and finding that gem is almost impossible (which is why Film Threat exists). This year marks the 20th anniversary of Loren David Marsh’s black comedy, Invitation to a Suicide.
Kaz (Pablo Schreiber) is a Polish immigrant living in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood who dreams of escaping to California with his girlfriend, Eva (Kate Moennig), for a better life. However, his plan for quick cash through illegal activities goes disastrously wrong, landing him in debt to a local Russian mob boss. The mobster threatens to murder Kaz’s father, Roman (David Margulies), pushing Kaz to devise a shocking solution: he decides to sell tickets to his own public suicide to raise the $10,000 he needs to pay his debt.
Shockingly, no one seems to have a problem with Kaz killing himself. The police are willing to chip in a large sum of cash if Kaz films it on 8mm film stock. A local doctor will pay for Kaz’s kidney. Even his father thinks it’s a great idea to offer to pay the final amount much to his son’s protests. As Kaz promotes his dark plan, he unexpectedly and ironically becomes a celebrity in the community.
As far as comedies go, Invitation to a Suicide is about as dark as it gets. Half of the time, the film explores Kaz’s desperate desire to flee to California with his girlfriend. Before the stunt, everyone in the community despises Kaz as a no-good loafer who is always looking to make a quick buck. His declaration of ending it all now makes Kaz a respected member of the community. In other words, Kaz is most loved by others when he’s gone…and then there’s the girl.
“…Kaz decides to sell tickets to his own public suicide to raise the $10,000 he needs to pay his debt.”
Most of the time, this level of absurdity turns me off in film. This could never happen in real life (or could it) in any reasonable way, and you risk losing authenticity and your audience in the story. I bought into the story once I realized that the film is a puzzle for young Kaz to solve. How can he raise ten grand, commit suicide, and then not commit suicide?
With Kaz’s desire in place, we now see the ramifications of this decision. Who loves Kaz and wants him to stop…practically no one. With death on the line, Kaz finds out who his true friends are and sadly uncovers the value he has in this very Polish community. The ending is quite satisfying…say no more.
Invitation to a Suicide has all the charm of a low-budget indie film from the Corman School of Cinema. It’s not crisp or clean, but it feels like a guerilla filmmaker shot it—a gritty story shot in a gritty way. Pablo Schreiber is amazing as the everyman Kaz, and we immediately slip into his shoes. He’s such a babyface in this film that it’s hard to believe he’s now Master Chief.
Invitation to a Suicide is an odd, offbeat indie gem. Loren David Marsh creates a surreal yet poignant tale bolstered by Pablo Schreiber’s compelling performance as the hapless Kaz. It’s a gritty indie with heart, absurdity, and just the right amount of existential musing—proof that the bleakest setups result in rich storytelling.
"…The bleakest setups result in rich storytelling..."
