Gore Verbinski reminds us why he’s one of the best who has ever done it with his new anti-AI action/comedy Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. The fact that this film exists on a smaller scale, giving Verbinski room to go full zany weirdo with it, is exactly what it needs. And in a time when Hollywood is so reticent to take on wholly original projects that may not exactly have wide appeal is what makes Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die so prescient.

The film opens up on a nondescript diner on a nondescript evening. The patrons are the usual mishmash of strangers, from older couples to frat bros to people just trying to enjoy a rare moment of solitude. All of that, however, is changed when a strange man in a plastic raincoat and an explosive vest (Sam Rockwell) trounces in and announces that he is from the future. And all of this? It goes terribly wrong.

He is here to stop AI, and it isn’t his first time selling this same spiel in this diner. As he proves that he is an actual time traveler, we get glimpses at those who will be a part of his mission on this go around. In order to succeed, he needs a new group, which include teachers, a grieving mother, and an enigmatic girl named Ingrid (Hailey Lu Richardson) in a princess dress and combat boots.

Virtual reality vs reality

As the story kicks off, we don’t just follow the group. Rather, the narrative itself is interspersed with vignettes of those in the group, starting with Janet (Zazie Beetz) and Mark (Michael Peña), a teacher and a substitute, respectively, and a couple that seems to be having a little bit of trouble connecting. In their story, we see that cell phones trump education, and that the kids are not all right.

The thing about Good Luck is that it is not subtle, and it does not want to be. In a time when AI is being pushed in creative spaces and continues to be used to cut business costs by eliminating human positions, we need a huge, brightly neon sign.

There is also society itself to consider. Susan (Juno Temple) is a grieving mom who just lost her son in a school shooting. Her vignette is arguably the most powerful because it echoes what is an issue now. However, in her time, these shootings are so common that there are protocols. There are, also, options. The story itself is reminiscent of an episode of Black Mirror, with consequences you’d expect.

Ingrid’s backstory is definitely the most far-fetched of the vignettes, but it manages to work within the realm of the story. She works with kids because they don’t use phones, but as we see in our own timeline, eventually even that disappears.

Think before you prompt

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is a healthy mix of action, sci-fi, and comedy. Rockwell is at his peak here, delivering lines that only he could make funny. Beetz and Peña have excellent chemistry and impeccable comedic timing. Temple is equally as excellent as Susan, imbuing her with a determined sorrow only a grieving mother can have.

A clever moment comes when the group must take on an unexpected foe, brought to life by the things the group said out loud as they discussed what they would face. It is a punch to the existence of AI prompts, and a reminder of how stupid they are. (Thankfully, no actual AI was used.)

The ending is, yes, self-aware and absurd. It is, also, remarkably poignant. AI is a real threat not just to our creativity and our independent thinking, but also to our planet. Will its message be too much for some people? Probably, but some people need a slap of reality.

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