Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (2026) - Movie Review
What if I told you that Gore Verbinski teamed up with the guy who wrote the 2025 gem, Love and Monsters?
What if I told you you they made a sci-fi, action extravaganza that left me with a similar feeling to when I first saw Back to the Future as a child?
Too much hype?
Nah, not nearly enough.
Let’s discuss.
Good Luck Have Fun Don’t Die is a 2025 sci-fi action / comedy brought to us by director Gore Verbinski and writer Matthew Robinson. Verbinski isn’t one of my favorites, but he is a living legend and should be mentioned alongside Guillermo Del Toro as one of the best director / concept designers of all time. Matthew Robinson is an up and coming writer/director with a fantastic filmography already, but he’s just not Gore Verbinski.
Image Credit LAMAG
The film focuses on a group of diners at a late night greasy spoon who are rudely interrupted by a strange man in a plastic coat yelling that he has a bomb strapped to his chest. He says he will detonate it unless a handful volunteer to help him save the world. What first appears to be the ranting of a mentally disturbed homeless man quickly becomes serious when the man knows things about every single person in the diner. Not only their names, but personal details that only a close friend would know, which leads to a small group volunteering to join him. What follows is a manically violent and heartfelt love letter to the science fiction hits of the 1990s. Which members of our crew will make it to the finale, will the robots win, or will love win out in the end? Find out in tonight’s feature Good Luck Have Fun Dont Die!
I love this movie.
The script by Robinson is flawless and his pairing with Verbinski makes perfect sense in retrospect. Robinson’s script needed a budget far beyond what his directing credits would obtain, but Verbinski is another story. Verbinski is one of the kings of spectacle having made Disney billions helming the initial Pirates of the Carribbean trilogy. Together, they’ve crafted a film that not only pays homage to the greats of the genre, but also roasts the audience who were warned about the evils of AI and did nothing to prevent it happening in reality.
None of this works without an incredible cast of character actors creating an ensemble of fleshed out characters covering a wide range of life experiences. Pretty much anyone who would watch his will find someone they can relate to if not root for.
This is one of the best ensembles assembled since 1985’s Back to the Future.
Sam Rockwell leads a crew made up of Michael Peña, Zazi Beatz, Juno Temple, and Asim Chowdrey. Names you may or may not know, but whose faces you’ll all recognize. Sam Rockwell is the star and does an incredible amount of carrying throughout the film’s runtime, but not a single actor drops the ball. Everyone entrusted with minutes in the film gives their all, leading to one of the most sincere character work in recent cinema. Every single character has their own storyline whether or not it’s related to the main adventure. You get to know these characters through brief windows into their past and each could be their own standalone film.
This isn’t a film you can be staring at while scrolling your feed.
This depth of character is all part of the game playing out in front of you as the filmmakers hide what’s really happening within a swirling miasma of images, flashing lights, and fighting robots. Every time you watch this film, you’ll see a dozen different things you missed, which might lead you to a different meaning to the film.
Each viewing could be a different storyline, rooting for a different character, or different outcome.
With incredible visuals, a dynamic cast, and a fantastic musical score—this is a can’t miss popcorn film to watch with friends and family. It’s unpredictable, hilarious, and non-stop action.
Check this one out in theaters or on digital.
Find a way to watch it.
It’s an honest to God good movie.
