Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (2026)

“Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” stars Sam Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, Tom Taylor, and Juno Temple.  Releasing on February 13, 2026, the film follows a man from the future who travels to the past to battle a rogue AI.
​
The film is directed by Gore Verbinski, who also directed films such as “Mouse Hunt”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “The Weather Man”, and “A Cure for Wellness”.  No matter how much we try to avoid it, there’s no denying that AI is becoming the dominant force in how we live our current lives.  Eventually, it’ll be the only path to our futures until one day, it’ll go rogue and possibly destroy all of humanity, Terminator-style.  Fortunately for us, one man from that future seeks to prevent that realization from happening, though he’s clearly not someone resembling John Connor.  From one movie involving AI to the next, it’s clear that Hollywood is seeking to provide more content that puts artificial intelligence front and center this year.  However, while the one with Chris Pratt strapped to a chair seemed more positive towards AI, this latest feature from Gore Verbinski has the characters fighting against it to save the world.  The result is a concept that looks like a bizarre trip made exclusively for AI detractors, but is it also clever enough to depict its surrealism amid its cautionary outlook on artificial intelligence?  Let’s travel to the past and find out.

The story is set in an alternate reality where civilization is glued to its technology, affecting the lives of numerous people around them.  One night, a man from the future (Rockwell) travels back in time and arrives at a Los Angeles diner, where he seeks help from specific patrons, including Ingrid (Richardson), Mark (Peña), Scott (Chaudhry), Susan (Temple), and Janet (Beetz).  The man warns that in the future, an advanced artificial intelligence will go rogue and destroy humanity, sending him on a quest to prevent that future from coming to fruition.  With the world at stake, the unlikely group must confront their personal doubts and stand together to stop the AI before its takeover begins. 

February has plenty of films that may attract specific audiences, while most were waiting for the big hitters in March.  We’re getting another “Strangers” film, another animated movie about anthropomorphic animals, and even another Ghostface killer.  However, out of those films that are releasing that month, “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” was the movie that piqued my interest the most.  It’s another movie about AI, no doubt about it, but the concept that combines that aspect with “Groundhog Day” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was enough to put it on my watchlist.  What can I say?  I’m a sucker for anything unorthodox.  This is also Gore Verbinski’s first directorial effort since “A Cure for Wellness” almost a decade ago.  I haven’t watched that movie, but I did appreciate his work on “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Rango”, so that’s another reason for my eagerness to see this concept unfold.  Fortunately, I was able to watch it a couple of weeks early via the mystery movie event.  I thought it was going to be “Crime 101”, but they thought this movie would suffice to build up word-of-mouth.  After viewing it myself, I’m glad they went with that decision.
   
“Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” could’ve gone in either direction depending on its execution.  It could either be a harmless, offbeat sci-fi ride or a smart, comical commentary on the current generation that’s been glued to the small screens most of the time.  Based on what I saw, it surprisingly turns out to be both, making it the first contender for best movie of 2026 in my eyes.  It’s witty, absurd, unapologetic, and most of all, thoughtful.  “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” is all of those things, delivering a bonkers, cleverly oddball twist on its typical “AI is bad” storyline that speaks clearly to our tech-filled society.  Fortunately, it also doesn’t shy away from being a fun time at the movies while delivering that said message.

Gore Verbinski possesses a particular flair in his filmmaking that blends dark humor with scope, a bleak yet mesmerizing visual style, and occasionally an imagination that’s both twisted and charismatic.  These elements made his “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy a big success back in the day and even made “Rango” one of the best animated movies of the past decade.  His approach in “Good Luck” is no exception, as his oddball, bleak vision captures the grim yet satirical outlook of society and its obsession with technology.  What’s interesting about Verbinski’s direction is that the film doesn’t reach past its absurdity level until the third act, but it offers enough weird moments in the character dynamics to convince me to tag along with the “resistance”.  Those moments were basically the appetizers before the wild main course that was the third act, which was packed with some decent visual effects, and I have to say, those were some delicious appetizers.  “Good Luck” further establishes Verbinski’s directorial craft, balancing its small scope with a bleakly gonzo visual finesse, making this a welcome return for the filmmaker.  It does have a similar issue seen in the director’s previous films, in which it ran a bit too long.  Fortunately, its consistent pacing helped keep me from being on my phone most of the time.

However, the real leader of this surreal resistance was Matthew Robinson, whose screenplay effectively reflects on modern technology in a bizarre yet honest light.  The film showcases three different characters experiencing bizarre circumstances that led them to join the future man’s resistance.  Mark and Janet confront the students’ unusual addiction to their phones, Susan is dealing with the loss of her son from a school shooting, and Ingrid is somehow allergic to technology.  Robinson’s script offers pretty much what you would normally witness in today’s society, but in a darkly satirical, Twilight Zone-like manner, particularly cell phone addiction, AI, and the difference between virtual and reality.  While technology helps improve our daily lives, it can also diminish our connection to the real world and to those around us, especially in the context of virtual reality and grief.  It’s a timeless message we often see in other tech-themed projects.  However, what makes this script unique is that it subverts most of its tropes to deliver a cautionary tale of AI overrunning our lives disguised as a bonkers sci-fi comedy.  It’s also packed with witty humor that’s not only relatable but also hilarious, particularly for its themes, including grief amid the film’s cloning aspect.  I also thought Geoff Zanelli, Verbinski’s musical collaborator, did a solid job crafting a score that matches the film’s eccentric tone.  Not bad for his first attempt as a primary composer.

Regarding the cast, the actors were all very entertaining in their roles, with only two standing out in my eyes.  One of them was Sam Rockwell, who went from voicing the big bad wolf in “The Bad Guys” to playing a scruffy tramp claiming himself to be from the future.  All I can say is that once he starts his opening monologue, my attention is on him and only him throughout the entire movie.  Rockwell was having a ball with his performance, conveying the time-traveling man’s charismatic yet seemingly eccentric personality with pizazz and amusement.  I would even say it’s one of the most entertaining performances I’ve seen from Rockwell since “The Bad Guys”.  The other is Haley Lu Richardson, who’s been impressing me with her roles since she first caught my attention in “The Edge of Seventeen” a decade ago.  Her role as Ingrid showcases that she’s still going strong, as Richardson delivers a worthy performance that enhances Ingrid's likability through her strange yet heartbreaking character arc.  Juno Temple was also solid in her role as Susan, while Asim Chaudhry offered enough comical moments as Scott to match the movie’s absurdity. 

Overall, “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” is lucky enough to capture the absurdity of its concept, resulting in a fun, witty, bonkers, and thought-provoking depiction of the tech-obsessed world we see today.  Gore Verbinski’s first film in nearly a decade is a triumphant return to form for the filmmaker, delighting in its entertainment value and surreal ideas and inspiring with its grounded messages about technology and AI that may hit closer to home.  These two aspects have a steady connection that delivers the best of both worlds, not just for audiences opposed to artificial intelligence, but also for those who need some weirdness in their cinematic experiences.  While its runtime can be a tad excessive regarding its structure, the film relies heavily on its kookiness and talent to keep me glued to its filmmaking craft rather than my phone.  Thanks to its highly charismatic cast, Verbinski’s oddball approach, Geoff Zanelli’s solid score, and Matthew Robinson’s witty screenplay, the movie is sure to make you think twice before checking your cell phone or putting on your VR headset. 

A-