Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a boldly original science fiction adventure, bound to be one of the most unique movies you’ll see this year. It’s wonderfully strange, often beautifully shot and filled with strong performances by its impressive ensemble. So, how does such an inspired movie with so much working in its favour manage to feel so uninspired in everything it’s trying to say?
We’re in the thick of AI and anti-AI content right now, and we’ve seen plenty of stories that tackle this ultra-relevant subject matter. This movie puts a quirky, time travelling spin on the dangers of AI, with pointed satire to drive its message home without question. The problem is, everything that’s being said here, we’ve seen and heard a thousand times before. It’s an important topic in today’s world, but this horse has just about been beaten to death. Don’t get me wrong - this movie has a lot of fun with how its commentary is laid out, but it can’t quite compensate for the recycled “AI is bad” message at the core of its story.
Clocking a runtime of 2 hours and 14 minutes, the premise seems like it should run out of steam before the credits roll. Breaking the plot up into individual character chapters - each with a different spin on tech and AI - keeps the pacing flowing smoothly, while never allowing its commentary to become monotonous. These chapters are woven into the main plot, gradually revealing each character’s motivations for volunteering to embark on such a dangerous (and quite frankly, insane sounding) mission. Even if the commentary feels overly familiar, the satire lands appropriately, leading to some big laughs and surprisingly, a handful of poignant moments too.
If you’ve seen Sam Rockwell in…well, pretty much everything he’s done, you won’t be surprised when I say he turns in another exceptional performance here. Frenzied, goofy, headstrong and just a little unhinged, he plays the role with enough gravitas to lend urgency to his mission. We aren’t joining his character on his first time jump - he’s lived through hundreds of failed attempts and Rockwell captures that exhausted, manic determination beautifully. The unlikely collection of supporting characters makes for such a fun dynamic, with solid performances across the board. Juno Temple and Haley Lu Richardson stood out in particular, with Temple’s character chapter being my favourite in the batch.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die doesn’t add anything new to the ongoing discourse, but boy, is it ever audaciously unique in its approach. Even if the destination is disappointingly familiar, the journey is a strange, funny and timely one worth taking.
Rating: ★★★½
Review by: Benjamin Garrett