One of the secret screenings of Fantastic Fest came as a complete surprise to me. I had never heard of the movie, so when the title leaked before the screening, all I could do was shrug. I knew it was the newest movie from director Gore Verbinski, the filmmaker behind the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies and Rango, but Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die hadn’t yet made it to my radar. With a creative and inventive script by Matthew Robinson, Verbinski’s new movie is definitely a fun and often uproarious ride.
A mysterious man from the future (Sam Rockwell) arrives at a diner in Los Angeles, but looks more like a disheveled, unhoused man. He storms into the restaurant, warning of the world’s apocalypse caused by artificial intelligence and that he has arrived to stop it, but that he needs to form a team. Most of the people either scoff at the premise or are too afraid to approach him. Still, he manages to recruit a motley crew of diner patrons to join him.
I kept the synopsis to a minimum because this movie is best enjoyed unspoiled. Just know that audiences are in store for a mostly unhinged science-fiction comedy that delivers fun thrills with some biting commentary on our over-reliance on electronics, the potential trouble with artificial intelligence, and the social state of our world today. And while it doesn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel, this entertaining movie does offer some fresh content.
I absolutely love the cast, with Sam Rockwell bringing a lovable mix of frantic energy, sardonic wit, and pure earnestness. The film also features outstanding performances by Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Pena, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, Tom Taylor, and Juno Temple. Though the movie doesn’t quite stick the landing, it ends satisfactorily. I had such a great time with this silly, sometimes ludicrous movie that I highly recommend it for cinema enjoyment.