Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die – Movie Review (4/5)

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE is a Sci-Fi Action Comedy from Gore Verbinski and starring Sam Rockwell and Haley Lu Richardson. It’s brilliant. I can actually say it that simply, because it is. Okay, the runtime is on the long side, which is the only reason we’re not giving it a top rating… but it was close. Read our full Good Luck, Have fun, Don’t Die movie review here!

GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE is a new genre hybrid that I cannot wait to watch again. The details in the story are amazing, especially thanks to the performance of Sam Rockwell as a time traveler who looks a lot like a crazy person. Not just crazy, but someone who has been living a rough life in a back alley somewhere with nothing but a cardboard box to call his home.

Fortunately, it won’t be long before you, the viewer, have to acknowledge that he truly is a time traveller. The plot of the movie isn’t whether he is or isn’t. He is! However, the only reason this is made a fact early on is that the actual plot is so much deeper and darker… in all the most relevant and relatable ways.

I loved that about this AI Sci-Fi Action Comedy Adventure hybrid… It’s my jam. Clearly!

Continue reading our Good Luck, Have fun, Don’t Die movie review below. Find it in theaters starting Friday the 13th of February, 2026.

Relentless… and I love it for that

With Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, we’re following a man (Sam Rockwell) claiming to be from the future. As he arrives at an iconic Los Angeles diner, he asks who among the patrons will join him on a mission. The purpose of gathering this group is nothing short of saving the world.

Due to his very strange outfit and his somewhat erratic behavior, no one is ready to sign up for his “quest”. However, this will change (sort of) before long. This man, claiming to be from the future, simply knows too much, and it seems impossible that all of it is just some trick. If he’s a con artist, he is the best ever.

So, yes, we will leave the diner, but that in itself is just the first part of this crazy night. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is absolutely relentless… and I love it for that! As things progress, it gets both wilder, scarier, and much more dangerous. The man from the future warns people that not everyone will survive the night, but obviously, no one will if they fail to save the world.

Join Sam Rockwell on a wild ride

While I know Sam Rockwell can play the hero and the villain equally well, even while being funny or heartbreaking, I still didn’t expect to enjoy his performance in this movie as much as I did. As “Man From the Future”, Sam Rockwell delivers such a wonderfully nuanced portrayal that just when you think you have him (or the plot) all figured out, there’s an extra detail revealed.

Also, the entire ensemble cast is chock-full of wonderful actors delivering strong and entertaining performances. In every single role!

I do, however, have to highlight Haley Lu Richardson (currently also starring in the Peacock series Ponies, alongside Emilia Clarke) because both the chemistry and banter with Sam Rockwell work perfectly. Not least in terms of creating comedy in the most satirical sense. Fair warning: If you think all is fun and action with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, then you are sorely mistaken.

The plot takes some very dark turns, and no one is safe in this story!

Alongside Sam Rockwell and Haley Lu Richardson (Split, Follow), you can look forward to Michael Peña (All Her Fault), Zazie Beetz (Full Circle), Asim Chandhry (Black Mirror), Tom Taylor (The Dark Tower), and Juno Temple (Venom: The Last Dance). As always, the latter also delivers a very memorable performance!

Do not miss out on Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die in theaters

Gore Verbinski (The Ring, A Cure for Wellness) is the director of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. He manages to do virtually everything right with this movie. My only minor issue with it is the runtime. At 134 minutes, it runs well over two hours, and I think it would have been stronger with a tad tighter pacing.

I do not wish for any of the side plots or actual scenes to be cut. It’s more of a trimming than a cutting issue. At the same time, I almost wish we could have dived a little more into some of the characters’ back stories. This wouldn’t have made the runtime shorter, but I doubt I would have noticed that it ran as long as it does.

The screenplay comes from Matthew Robinson, who previously wrote Love and Monsters, which I also enjoyed immensely. As a huge fan of (well-made!) genre hybrids, Matthew Robinson writes scripts that speak to my heart and mind. With Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, he created a world that I did not want to see end. I would love to see sequels, prequels, a spin-off, or even a series based on this premise.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is out exclusively in theaters from February 13, 2026. Yes, the first Friday the 13th of 2026, alongside many other (good and bad) releases, but you do not want to miss out on this one!

Details

Director: Gore Verbinski
Writer: Matthew Robinson
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chandhry, Tom Taylor, Juno Temple