Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune is a funny, sharp, and sweet time at the ol’ multiplex.
It’s an endearing, perceptive life-swap movie that uses contemporary trials and tribulations to cleverly upend the It’s a Wonderful Life cliché, while still discovering a smart and organic way to embrace it.
Portions of Good Fortune almost feel like a writing challenge unto themselves: How do you make someone appreciate their life amid late-stage capitalism’s crushing grip? Well, Good Fortune not only solves this puzzle but delivers a wonderful—and increasingly rare for modern times—big-screen comedy along the way.
An Angel With Good Intentions, Questionable Methods
Keanu Reeves, hilariously leaning into his beloved doofus persona, plays low-level Los Angeles angel Gabriel, tasked with saving people from car accidents caused by texting and driving. He becomes fixated on rock-bottom Arj (Ansari), whom he perceives as a lost soul desperately needing salvation. Only… that isn’t Gabriel’s assignment. And that particular job proves far more complicated than he realizes.
Arj exists day to day, using gig-economy apps to barely feed and clothe himself. Living in his car, Arj begins a trial run as assistant to wealthy do-nothing tech bro Jeff (Seth Rogen). But when Gabriel decides to intervene in Arj’s life, everything spirals into a witty, insightful mess.
A Triumphant Cast Chemistry
The always-great Keke Palmer appears in a strong supporting love-interest role as Arj’s co-worker attempting to unionize the staff. Though if you’re seeking a superior showcase of her comedy talents, one that played theaters and performed well, check out One of Them Days from earlier this year. Palmer and Rogen were actually holdovers from Ansari’s canceled-mid-production movie from several years back, Being Mortal, making Good Fortune feel like even more of a triumph considering it miraculously rose from the ashes of a previous project.
Experiencing Good Fortune with a theater packed with viewers who, presumably, hadn’t seen the trailer made for an even better experience. The story contains additional wrinkles beyond what the trailer reveals, certainly, but it was evident many audience members weren’t anticipating anything specific and were loving the journey. So here’s an option—go in as blind as possible. Don’t even watch the videos embedded in this review.
The Secret Ingredient: Keanu’s Gabriel
It makes sense that Ansari and Rogen would work exceptionally well together on screen, but the surprise joy here is how perfectly Keanu’s Gabriel fits into the mix. It’s a delightful trio of well-meaning dudes forced to examine their lives, errors and all. Even Jeff, the rich bastard who just gets playtime every day, isn’t a bad person. He’s simply ignorant, with massive blind spots. Gabriel, though, really is the key ingredient here. His enchanting innocent presence allows, essentially, the film to explain why the world sucks to a child.
Poverty’s Expensive Reality
Not to get too heavy here at the close, but there’s a James Baldwin quote that resonates loudly these days and rests at the heart of Good Fortune: “Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor.” This is what the rich, entitled bootstrap brigade always refuse to recognize—the sheer time and energy it takes to eke by. Good Fortune layers this message in beautifully, wrapping it up in a warm, charming blanket. Just as sci-fi and horror are used to comment on society and the human condition, Ansari accomplishes the same through comedy with Good Fortune.
Verdict
Good Fortune is a witty, warm, celestial comedy of errors that splendidly blends the wry world of the Frat Pack with the dopiness of Bill & Ted. It’s got great performances—including a devilishly angelic one from Keanu Reeves—and offers a fresh, funny look at modern hardships. Aziz Ansari may have had his initial film directing debut nixed a few years back, but the wait wound up being worth it as Good Fortune delivers the goods like a 5-star DoorDasher.
