In early 2022, comedian Aziz Ansari began work on what would’ve been his directorial debut, Being Mortal. Unfortunately, production was suspended indefinitely following an investigation into a complaint filed against co-star Bill Murray. Though he had been doing more dramatic work recently, Ansari wanted to show that comedy was still a popular genre. He chose to, as he described, “write about things that everyone is dealing with that no one is talking about.” Namely, he wanted to tell a story about people struggling with day-to-day life due to the failing job market. For the case, he brought his Being Mortal co-star Seth Rogen, as well as Keanu Reeves as an angel. After some delays, filming began in early 2024, though concerns arose after photos surfaced of Reeves in crutches. Despite these setbacks, Aziz Ansari’s directorial debut, Good Fortune, hit theaters in October 2025.
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Synopsis
Arj (Aziz Ansari), a struggling documentarian, is working various odd jobs and struggling to make ends meet. His luck changes when he meets tech billionaire Jeff (Seth Rogen), who agrees to hire him as his assistant. Things improve for Arj until Jeff fires him for using his company credit card for an expensive dinner date. Having hit rock bottom, Arj gets a visit from his guardian angel, Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), who tries helping but fails. In an attempt to show that wealth won’t solve his problems, Gabriel switches Arj’s life with Jeff’s, but it backfires. While Jeff is now struggling to get by, Arj is living comfortably, throwing huge parties, going on vacations, etc. After explaining that Arj must agree to switch lives back, Gabriel’s supervisor, Martha (Sandra Oh), takes away his wings. Now stuck on Earth, Gabriel learns what being human means while trying to fix his mistake.
Review
While not the funniest movie in the world, Good Fortune is still an enjoyable, even hopeful, watch. Regardless of where you’ve been in life, almost everyone has been in a tough spot in their lives. This movie perfectly captures that feeling of hopelessness and despair we’ve felt when everything seems to be going wrong. That said, the film tackles these issues in a comedic way to avoid bumming out the audience. At the same time, this comedy doesn’t have many big laughs, though there are a few chuckle-worthy moments. A lot of the humor comes from the cast, who all play well off of each other. While the dialogue isn’t the greatest, it gets the job done, and there are some amusing anecdotes thrown in. While the movie conveys a powerful message, it never feels pandering; instead, it comes across more naturally in its delivery.
Aziz Ansari and Seth Rogen both give solid performances in their respective roles as Arj and Jeff. You instantly identify with Arj’s struggle of trying to get by while working low-paying jobs and constantly getting grief. Although making Jeff unlikable would’ve been easy, you understand his perspective, and he has a great arc, as does Arj. Keke Palmer is also good as Arj’s love interest, Elena, even if her subplot about unionizing doesn’t go anywhere. However, the real scene stealer is Keanu Reeves as the well-meaning but indept guardian angel Gabriel. Seeing this heavenly being experiencing human things for the first time is hilarious and makes him an endearing character. The movie is at its best when it involves either Arj and Gabriel, Jeff and Gabriel, or all three together. All three play off each other really well and have excellent comedic timing, which makes for a fun viewing experience.
As I hinted at earlier in the review, one of the film’s flaws is the unresolved subplots that go nowhere. Aside from the union subplot, there’s Arj and Elena’s relationship that comes and goes, and the struggles amongst the angels. Plus, the movie doesn’t do anything that similar movies haven’t done before, like It’s a Wonderful Life or Groundhog Day. Granted, a film doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel or be a huge trendsetter to be enjoyable. For a first-time director, Ansari shows great promise in his use of color and composition. I’d be curious to see what he does next, whether it’s another comedy or something more dramatic. At just over 90 minutes, the movie is a quick, breezy watch that leaves you feeling hopeful. Overall, Good Fortune isn’t one of the funniest movies ever, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable to watch.
Good Fortune is in theaters.
Where to watch Good Fortune (2025)
