GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Micheal Peña, Zazie Beetz, Juno Temple, and Asim Chaudhry
Director: Gore Verbinski
If you believe you know where Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is headed, I promise that you don’t. Not in the opening, when a potentially patronizing sermon becomes engrossing due to Sam Rockwell’s innate charm, director Gore Verbinski’s kinetic direction, and composer Geoff Zanelli’s outstandingly quirky score. Not in the thick of it, when our depressingly disheartening reality gets soberingly spotlighted. Not in the end, when it’s a mindfuck. A never-ending mindfuck. I haven’t felt satirical hilarity like this since Shaun of the Dead, and while not exactly the same, the vibes are on the Cornetto Trilogy’s similarly brilliant wavelengths.
PAIGE
Gore Verbinski’s Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is an insanely imaginative ride. While it may not be the first of its kind, it does present many original ideas that make this bizarre journey such a delight. The film takes a stupendously fun approach to tackling issues such as AI, doom scrolling, and where this all is leading our society. It won’t be for everyone, as it’s very zany, drags at points, and isn’t as impactful as I hoped. But its wacky and fun performances, specifically from Sam Rockwell and Haley Lu Richardson, make it worth watching another weird and innovative movie.
NICK
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die doesn’t waste any time as director Gore Verbinski instantly sets a tone and drops you right into the chaos. It’s hilarious – thanks to a terrific Sam Rockwell and a well utilized supporting cast – and yet, terrifying due to its potentially prophetic nature. Verbinski has crafted a film that feels both larger-than-life and relatable as it tackles the trajectory of our screen-obsessed lives and the takeover of AI in a fantastical, yet alarmingly possible way. If a film like Mercy's AI angle left a bad taste in your mouth, then this one is bound to wash it out.
ROBERT
I truly believe originality in storytelling doesn’t exist anymore. Unique films, however, are those that build a cogent story from a mosaic of past works that feels fresh despite all the obvious references; that sums up Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. Dawn of the Dead’s themes are pushed forward from 1978 to the world in which we currently reside and the future we fear. Sam Rockwell is a supernova: some parts Phil Connors from Groundhog Day and other parts James Cole from 12 Monkeys while the writing is incandescent with snappy dialogue and unexpected twists. I wanted to live in this world to no end.
ADRIANO
If you’re going to throw every single modern grievance into a melting pot, can you at least have something more interesting to say about it beyond self-satisfying nihilism? It’s a ton of fun to see Gore Verbinski going full stylistic overload again, but Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die operates with the same logic as a South Park episode, except not as funny and much too long. That said, I enjoyed a large chunk of this movie's zaniness, and even if it elicited more eyerolls than laughs, there’s a charm to Verbinski’s confidence, despite the empty script.
BODE
Perhaps some time in “director’s jail” is exactly what Gore Verbinski needed as the hard-to-define Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die finds the visionary director seemingly throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. From grievances about AI and the ubiquity of gun violence, to wacky concepts that include a minotaur with about a thousand kitten heads, it’s undoubtedly a mess. Yet and still, I had plenty of fun parsing through the muck due to Verbinski’s lively filmmaking, Sam Rockwell’s trademark charm, and affecting supporting turns from Juno Temple and Haley Lu Richardson. A much-needed return-to-form.
Want to hear even more of our thoughts? Nick, Paige, and Adriano join Amarú to take A Bigger Bite out of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die HERE.