In Kill Me, Charlie Day portrays a character who is convinced that he did not attempt to take his own life.

      Kill Me, a intricately layered dark comedy featuring Charlie Day, had a path to the screen that was nearly as convoluted as the film itself, as explained by writer-director Peter Warren during a SXSW screening on Monday.

      Day portrays Jimmy, a man who awakens with his wrists slashed, lying in a bathtub filled with his own blood. He contacts 911 and informs the operator (Allison Williams) that he needs assistance — and insists that it wasn’t a suicide attempt.

      He is convinced that someone else is responsible for his condition.

      Before long, Jimmy and the operator, Margot, delve into Jimmy's past and compile a list of individuals who might have had motives to harm him while disguising it as suicide. The impressive cast includes Giancarlo Esposito from Breaking Bad, Aya Cash from The Boys, Tony Cavalero from The Righteous Gemstones, and Jessica Harper, known for Suspiria.

      The Creation of Kill Me

      You might recognize the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia meme from a memorable episode where Day's character becomes embroiled in conspiracy theories. Now envision that scenario with a different twist.

      Warren approaches the topic of suicide seriously in Kill Me — though it’s comedic, the film treats Jimmy’s struggles with mental illness with dignity, subtlety, and empathy. Prior to making the film, Warren worked on a suicide-prevention hotline.

      Initially, he pitched the concept to his agents as a series, and they were on board. However, when no one bought the idea, he decided to write it as a feature on spec.

      At the same time, Day and producer Keith Goldberg, an executive at Dark Horse Entertainment (Umbrella Academy), were in search of a writer for a planned Netflix series. Warren submitted his script for Kill Me, then titled Murder Suicide, as a writing sample.

      Goldberg was not only impressed by the story but also by how thoughtfully the script addressed Jimmy's depression.

      “I read this script as a writing sample for the TV show, and I told Charlie, ‘Hey, I found our writer. But also, this script is really good, we should just go make this,’” Goldberg recounted during Monday's post-screening Q&A.

      Although the TV series never materialized, the movie did. Dark Horse collaborated with XYZ, which then connected with Natalie Metzger of Vanishing Angle. Vanishing Angle and XYZ had previously partnered on the clever horror film The Wolf of Snow Hollow.

      “As I read it, I thought, ‘Wow, this feels just like a script I’ve encountered before.’ And the more I read, I realized, ‘No, I’ve seen this script before,’” Metzger shared on Monday.

      She recalled having read Murder Suicide during the pandemic, a peculiar time for development overall. She suggested filming in the Salt Lake City area, where the movie was ultimately shot.

      “She’s a magician when it comes to making things work within a budget,” Goldberg noted.

      The film, which benefitted from its title change during development, leaves many aspects open for interpretation. At times, Jimmy is suspicious of certain individuals around him, and it remains uncertain whether his fears are justified or if his mental illness is causing paranoia.

      “I don't believe anyone in that entire group desires anything for Jimmy other than health and happiness, but it remains complicated, and they all deal with feelings of resentment to varying degrees of success,” Warren remarked.

      The film is currently in search of distribution.

      Kill Me had its premiere at SXSW and will screen again today. For more on our SXSW coverage, you can read further here. The main image features Charlie Day as Jimmy using a blacklight to search for clues in Kill Me. Vanishing Angle.