Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die

Gore Verbinski, the Academy Award-winning director known for Rango and the initial Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, makes a dynamic return with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. Having premiered at the Berlinale in the Special Gala section, the film dives into the now-familiar waters of post-apocalyptic AI, offering a sprawling yet energetically paced science-fiction satire on the perils of modern technology. While the feature may arrive somewhat late to this thematic trend, Verbinski infuses it with an exuberant, often madcap, energy that proves consistently entertaining.

The premise unfolds in a Los Angeles diner, where a dishevelled “Man from the Future” (Sam Rockwell, credited as such) materialises. Clad in a transparent plastic trench coat and wired with strange devices, he declares this to be his 117^th attempt to prevent a nine-year-old prodigy from unleashing a destructive AI that will doom civilisation. His mission is to assemble a team from the diner’s bewildered patrons, a combination that changes with each failed loop, reminiscent of Groundhog Day. Reluctantly joining him are married high school teachers Mark and Janet (Michael Peña and Zazie Beetz), grieving mother Susan (Juno Temple), Uber driver Scott (Asim Chaudhry), and the phone-averse Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson), whose performance truly stands out. Flashbacks reveal the origins of the characters’ trauma, from smartphone-zombified teenagers to VR-addicted partners, all symptoms of the very technological overreach the team seeks to prevent.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a kaleidoscope of genres, blending sci-fi, comedy, and horror with a frenetic pace that keeps the narrative spinning. Rockwell delivers a maniacally charismatic and utterly stratospheric performance, embodying the movie’s frenzied spirit. Richardson, in particular, shines, anchoring much of the story’s emotional weight. While some might find Zazie Beetz’s role slightly underutilised, the entire ensemble commits wholeheartedly to the absurd journey. Verbinski’s direction is agile, navigating the story’s many layers with a clear sense of purpose, ensuring that the visual ambition – evident in James Whitaker’s cinematography, David Brisbin’s production design, and Ghost VFX’s effects – feels cohesive. The pleasantly mad score by Geoff Zanelli further enhances the experience, and editor Craig Wood skillfully stitches together the disparate elements, preventing the film from unravelling despite its maximalist approach.

The film’s social critique, though “in-your-face” and lacking subtlety, is delivered with such an infectious sense of humour that it largely succeeds. Its narrative structure, while at times feeling fragmented with underdeveloped secondary segments, forms a kind of “doom scrolling controlled” experience, embracing numerous pop culture and cinematic references from Terminator to Toy Story. While it may not break new ground in its themes or narrative originality, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die never pretends to be something it isn’t. It’s an unapologetically wild ride, a surprisingly sharp and genuinely fun piece of entertainment that cleverly plays with metaverse dynamics only to explode them, challenging the audience to consider the digital world we inhabit.