Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
review by bobby Blakey
Director Gore Verbinski has had a wide range of films under his belt in all genres including The Ring, Mousehunt, The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Rango and the underrated A Cure of Wellness which was his last film back in 2016. Finally, Verbinski has stepped back into the director’s chair for his latest sci-fi flick Good Luck, Don’t Die, Have Fun starring Sam Rockwell, Michael Pena, Zazie Beetz, Haley Lu Richardson, Juno Temple, and Asmi Chaudhry. Could this film bring something worth seeing or will it fail to find its place in time?
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Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die follows a "Man From the Future" who arrives at a diner in Los Angeles where he must recruit the precise combination of disgruntled patrons to join him on a one-night quest to save the world from the terminal threat of a rogue artificial intelligence.
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I was intrigued by this film from the first trailer, but it’s also the kind of film that could go horribly wrong. The film wastes no time jumping right into things and instantly grabbing you and letting you know this is going to be a ride. This is one of those films that is over the top, insane, funny and all around strange in a brilliant way, but one that won’t connect with everyone.
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The visual style of Sam Rockwell’s character looks like a junk heap hobo but at the same time brings a futuristic vibe to him that you can imagine he pieced together from trash. It makes you wonder what is true and what is not immediately as it intends to before fully starting to reveal the truth of what’s happening. Anytime you deal with time travel there are tropes that they stick too, but all to often gets lost in the details. Here they have carefully dealt with it in a way that keeps things moving and entertaining without losing their way.
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The cast are all great and seem to be having a great time in this crazy story, but its Rockwell who steals the show. This manic behavior and fast talking with keeps you invested in his every word and movement waiting to see what happens next. I found myself fully invested and loving this crazy journey more and more even in its most absurd. They bounce in and out of chaos and heart without ever fully leaning into either and it works.
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Verbinski went all in with the science fiction and even plenty of action violence that weaves throughout this deeper than you might imagine story. Filled with numerous topical issues without getting preachy to any of them makes it work all around. It’s the kind of film that you want to go into with little knowledge and just let the experience happen. I loved it when the final credits rolled with an ending that some might not like or expect, but I felt it was the perfect decision for this type of story.
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It will be interesting to see if this film connects with a broader audience and I hope it does as it deserves it. Decide for yourself and check out Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die in theaters now from Briarcliff Entertainment.