Good Fortune Movie Review (2025)

A spunky buddy comedy about a well-intended angel who makes a mess in two men’s lives, Good Fortune is light, funny, and fairly predictable.

We are all familiar with “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” type films. Whether it is Freaky Friday, It’s A Wonderful Life, or Your Name., one of the goals is to learn that there is something special about the life you have, and that if you can see it, you can make it even better. That is the case with this movie too, but with a twist.

Good Fortune is about Gabriel, an angel who is assigned to keep people from getting into car accidents while texting. During a routine job, he notices that a man named Arj is down on his luck – crappy car, parking tickets, working various jobs, and failing to stay afloat financially. Wanting more responsibility in his job and to help more people, Gabriel attempts to show Arj that his life has value by swapping his life with Jeff’s, the rich man that Arj works for.

This is a really cute comedy and way better than I thought it would be. I went into watching this film having heard mixed reviews, but I’m not sure why. It’s a lot of fun!

Written, produced, starred in, and directed by Aziz Ansari, I am very impressed. As a directorial debut, he did an excellent job. Besides, he is much of the endearing energy in the film, even though he is down on his luck. You enjoy watching his journey, and even in his character’s bad moments, he shines.

Seth Rogen brings his characteristic lovable slacker vibe to his role of Jeff, who is exceptionally rich and was given all of the opportunities to achieve it. Keanu Reeves starts as very wooden as Gabriel, but you quickly warm to his innocent sweetness, particularly in the scene where he tries food for the first time.

While there is a lot of predictability in the film (you know how it will end, you’re just not sure how it will get there), Good Fortune is unique in several ways. First, Gabriel attempts to get Arj to see how great his life is by making him swimmingly rich. And once Arj gets a taste of that life, he (and you) don’t see why he would possibly want to go back. Laying in the pool, eating guacamole and chips while your money makes money for you? Yes please.

Second, while Arj is rich, you also follow Jeff and Gabriel’s journey, where they have to live the life that Arj was living. Discovering that you have to work in order to eat and being expected to pay your bills up front, whether you have the money or not – these are normal things that neither has ever had to contend with.

Third, there is a huge commentary throughout the film that covers the wide valley between the rich and the poor in this country. It is not heavy handed, but, in a way, it is its own character. The wealthy stepping on the heads of the destitute has a real presence here, and you can see it in all the nooks and crannies of this movie.

In the end, though, this is a charming and funny comedy led by three entertaining men and a good supporting cast. Great job, Aziz Ansari, I look forward to whatever comes next.

Runtime: 107 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms