Cinema Scholars reviews Gore Verbinski’s comedic dystopian thriller, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. The film stars Sam Rockwell in an ensemble cast including Haley Lu Richardson, Juno Temple, Zazie Beetz, and Michael Peña. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die will be released exclusively in theaters on February 13, 2026, by Briarcliff Entertainment.
Introduction
Stories about dystopian wastelands hold a special place in the pantheon of cinema. In many versions, Mother Nature has failed us, setting off a dark, survival-of-the-fittest scenario. Other post-apocalyptic scenarios have various plagues ravage the world. The result is survivors left to deal with monsters and, even worse, each other. In yet another subset of the often dreary genre, technology is to blame for the sudden fall of mankind. Skynet is going live and all that.
In the new Gore Verbinski film Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, the director takes the cautionary tale to a whole new level with a not-so-distant-future AI takeover. A scathing treatise on our growing addiction to technology, the film eschews the typical doom-and-gloom format by broadcasting its ominous message with an absurdly clever and funny delivery.
Synopsis
It’s another packed house at Norm’s, the kind of diner that serves breakfast all day and has a display case filled with freshly baked pies. As patrons quietly eat, many of them scrolling on their phones, a disheveled man suddenly enters the restaurant, ranting about an important mission to save the world.
Soon it is revealed that this man has appeared at the restaurant on over one hundred occasions, time-traveling to the same place and people that are somehow destined to help him complete his assignment. The assignment? To intercept a boy who will one day program the AI that entrances the entire human race. Now he must, once again, try to assemble the right combination of people and the correct sequence of tactics to deliver humanity from future tech enslavement.
Discussion
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die draws unapologetic comparisons to our real-life obsession with devices and online worlds. While Verbinski’s tale takes the potential outcome to the extreme, he dares the audience to consider the consequences of even more intoxicating algorithms with the advent of AI. But he does it with humor and a high-concept narrative that puzzles and entertains as the film posits the deeper questions.
A big part of why the humor works is the hilarious story-building, beginning with the time traveler. While he makes his (to him) umpteenth bid to form an AI-thwarting dream team, his familiarity with every character and their next move is comical and intriguing. As details of past failed missions (most deadly) are nonchalantly revealed, so too are the backstories of each member of the chosen squad.
The current goose chase unfolds, and information about the days prior to each character shows why each is destined to be part of this operation. From a mourning mother desperate to resurrect her son to frazzled teachers dealing with tech-zombie teens to a young woman allergic to electronic devices, Verbinski weaves each backstory together with the main narrative to create a thought-provoking yet silly misadventure that never takes itself too seriously.
Performances
Sam Rockwell is perfectly cast as the fast-talking, possibly unhinged time traveler. Rockwell conveys the seriousness of his character’s assignment, but with the inferred repetitiveness of a seasoned tour guide, complete with pro tips and inside jokes only he knows. When his character takes a turn at backstory time, Rockwell gets to lean into his dramatic side as connections to the current timeline come to light. This balanced performance validates his character’s mission and thus the entire narrative.
As tech-allergic Ingrid, Haley Lu Richardson steps up to the unwitting heroine podium with ease. More emo princess than action goddess, Richardson perfectly channels angsty 20-something energy into Ingrid, whose life has been affected by AI addiction.
Juno Temple’s portrayal of bereft parent Susan brings both emotional heft and ethical debate to an otherwise irreverent story. While the overall tone of the film never allows Temple to go fully morose, her nuanced take reveals the mother’s devastation nonetheless. As Susan’s true motivation comes to light, however, Temple conveys her character’s complexity as well.
Hilarious performances by Zazie Beetz and Michael Peña as demoralized teachers at a school full of zombified students help keep the overall tone light. Peña’s earnest delivery, paired with Beetz’s exasperated demeanor, makes the pair one of the bright spots of the film.
Further Analysis
While Verbinski certainly opens an important dialogue about technology taking over our lives, other sub-commentaries might muddle that message. Subplots about school shootings, human cloning, and the state of public education are breached but never really thought out. While these elements signal the dawn of a dystopia, they don’t actually play into the main narrative.
Furthermore, as with any story that involves time-travel, certain paradoxes arise. Though Verbinski’s hero spends plenty of time dispelling any continuity questions, timeline-minded viewers may find holes in the film’s dogma. You can hurt your brain unraveling the premise, or you can simply accept the story’s main conceit and enjoy the ride.
Among all the screwball antics and biting social commentary, Verbinski takes a cue from past projects like Rango or Pirates of the Caribbean and channels that artistic license into some insane CGI in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. Imagine imagery that is silly and terrifying at the same time, and you have Verbinski’s version of AI monsters.
Conclusion
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a scathing cautionary tale about a future where we completely lose “in real life” interactions with our fellow man. Though director Gore Verbinski posits some tough questions, he does so in a clever and comical way that makes the commentary more palatable.
The high-concept dystopian context is nicely balanced with humor and delightful story and character building. And well-rounded performances from the stellar ensemble buoy the dark premise as well. Though the overt discourse or futuristic themes may not be for everyone, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is sure to strike a chord with the deep thinkers out there.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die will be released exclusively in theaters on February 13, 2026, by Briarcliff Entertainment.
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