Don’t Say Good Luck Movie Review (2026)
A heartfelt coming-of-age drama about a teenager preparing for her first show while navigating the realities of her mother’s returning illness, Don’t Say Good Luck gradually builds its emotional weight through likable characters, genuine performances, and a deeply affecting musical backdrop.
When the musical Waitress came out in 2016, it kind of went right past me. My children were very busy, I had heard the music, and only one song stuck out to me. I just didn’t make time for it. But a few years ago, I watched Waitress: The Musical proshot. It was then that I realized what I had missed. It’s a fantastic show, and I’m so glad that appreciation for it has grown among so many people.
Don’t Say Good Luck is about Sophie Birenbaum, a teenager growing up in a loving home with her parents and younger twin brothers, who is about to audition for the performance of Waitress at her high school. With encouragement from her parents and a love of singing and acting, Sophie expects to get a supporting character because, of course, the pretty and talented Mallory will get the lead part of Jenna. Just before her audition, though, Sophie receives a butt dial from her father, where she hears that her mother’s illness has returned. After a moving audition, impacted by this news, Sophie gets the part of Jenna, much to everyone’s surprise.
This is a beautiful movie that had me laughing and crying. A lot. Of each. It is relatable and honest, with family and school situations that feel grounded in reality. This could be anyone’s family and anyone’s school.
Sunny Sandler (Adam Sandler’s daughter) plays Sophie, and, to be clear, she will not be described as his daughter for very long if she keeps up with performances like this. Sunny is talented in her own right and carries this movie right along with the incredible Melanie Lynskey, who plays her mother. This duo creates the mother/daughter relationship that many people dream of, with missteps and love, but always genuinely trying to be there for each other. It’s one of the loveliest examples of a mother/daughter relationship that I can think of in film because not one second feels manufactured.
Just like the musical Waitress, Don’t Say Good Luck slowly builds in its emotional resonance. With the development of the school play and the progression of Sophie’s mom’s illness this time around, you develop a deep caring for what is happening in this film. You want everything to be okay for everyone in their own way. It connects.
Don’t Say Good Luck is a bittersweet, gently funny, tender film full of great music and a compelling story. There is a little who’s who of musical theater, with the appearances of Bebe Neuwirth (a Broadway legend) and Stephanie Beatriz (from the movie In The Heights and Mirabel in Encanto), a shining rendition of “She Used To Be Mine” by Sandler, and a focus on this being Sophie’s story, as the teen living this life. And I know that a lot of people aren’t “into” musical theatre, but I love it. And, as Sophie explains, it’s “because music can make you feel things that are bigger than just talking.” Absolutely.
Runtime: 94 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG-13
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Yes, this definitely got me
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
Available: Free on Netflix
