SPOILER-FREE PLOT SUMMARY
When a time traveling man from the future (played by Sam Rockwell) comes to present day Los Angeles, he knows he has a flash drive, a world-saving quest and a diner full of patrons at his disposal to complete his mission. This is his 117th time coming back as he tries to find the right combination of customers dining at Norm’s in order to go to a nearby house and confront a nine-year old boy who is creating a rogue AI that will destroy civilization as we know it. He’s 0-for-116 but, on this trip, selects teachers Mark and Janet (Michael Peña and Zazie Beetz respectively), a mom who just lost her son to a school shooting in Susan (Juno Temple), a diner employee in Scott (Asim Chaudhry) and, for the first time, a seemingly hopeless princess Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson), among others. The group — constantly questioning whether he’s really from the future or just a wayward homeless man — heads out toward the house, facing challenge after challenge along the way. Each diner patron plays a part in getting them to their goal but is this the correct combination? Or will he have to come back for a 118th attempt?
SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Once or twice a year, a movie comes along that’s so weird it makes you say “How the hell do I review that?!?” GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE is the one of those.
So let’s be systematic about this.
PERFORMANCES: Rockwell is magnetic as the time traveling man and plays off the other’s near perfectly. Likewise, Temple brings a lot of heart, pain and emptiness to her character that a lesser actor would’ve fumbled at any point. Finally, Richardson brings it home with an incredible performance that, given the campiness of the project, clearly requires a special type of talent.
DIRECTING: Gore Verbinski takes this Matthew Robinson-penned script and amplifies it into a hilarious dark comedy. From the opening interaction at Norm’s to the ultimate confrontation at the house, Verbinski takes the audience for an awkward-yet-fun ride and forces the viewer to decide for themselves when — and how — things were decided.
COMPARISON: If you enjoyed BUGONIA, you’ll love this. Not because it’s the same thing but because it is out there like BUGONIA. The premise itself is odd but the flight of fancy is within reason, a time traveler comes back to save the world from AI. Understood. Topical, actually. But the way it’s done, with the comedy woven throughout, the creepiness of it all and the prevailing thoughts of “What the hell am I watching?” are in the ilk of BUGONIA.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This is fun. But it’s also weird. So, if you don’t have a penchant for absurdist humor or dark comedy, you may want to pass on this one. That said, if you’re looking for a movie that’s going to have you and your friends talking for days afterward, look no further than GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE.
JKG SCORE: 7.0
Untitled Film Project 