Trigger warning: Mentions of suicide and self-harm
If there’s an act or mention of self-harm in cinema, it must be a comedy. That’s a train of thought no one ever had. Ever. But in “Rick and Morty” creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s new film, they manage to place suicide and comedy in one sentence.
“Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss” is Harmon and Roiland’s new dark comedy with Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi. And guess what? Waititi is a cult leader in this one.
Okay, I’ll try to explain the plot as best as I can. The logline is as follows: A couple gets a sweet deal with their new apartment until cultists start going to their bathtub to kill themselves. Apparently, their cult leader died in that bathtub and it serves as a gateway to a spirit realm. His followers believe the spirit realm will lead them into eternal bliss. And so, the couple decides to help these cultists achieve their goals.
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Harmon and Roiland weren’t kidding in that dark comedy part. On paper (and as I am typing all of this down), this film sounds awful. I am personally a fan of “Rick and Morty” and Taika Waititi as well. But as a person dealing with mental health problems, I’m not exactly sure about where to stand in this dark comedy about suicide.
I’m not canceling it that quick, though. These people are amazing storytellers. And come on, Harmon gave us “Rick and Morty” and “Community.” Wemight turn out okay. Probably.
“Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss” stars Kate Micucci, Sam Huntington, Dana Gould, Rhea Seehorn, Dan Harmon himself, and more. You can watch Taika as your new fave cult leader below:
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Still from “Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss”