With his Netflix series, Master of None, Aziz Ansari proved he has serious talent as a filmmaker and storyteller. But since then he’s been in Hollywood purgatory stemming from his alleged misconduct while dating, and now the highly publicized Riyadh Comedy Festival controversy (both of which I’m not weighing in on here, though I have opinions). Enter 2025 and he’s back on the scene with his feature film directorial debut, Good Fortune, which he also wrote and produced.
Good Fortune focuses on Ansari’s character living in LA as a struggling editor, whose chance encounter with an angel (Keanu Reeves) changes the course of his life, and that of a millionaire investor (Seth Rogen). All while he’s attempting to court an aspiring furniture maker (Keke Palmer), but can’t do so because he’s broke. That economic insecurity is the crux of all his (and everyone surrounding him) problems.
Conceptually, it’s like a combo of A Christmas Carol meets Freaky Friday: a supernatural examination of what is truly important in life (money or people) AND body swap shenanigans. The formula mostly works.
Based on the elevated cinematic quality of the way Master of None looks and was shot (beautifully), it wasn’t surprising that Ansari continues to craft a rich and engaging visual aesthetic on the big screen. Good Fortune has some really gorgeous cinematography and striking shots; well above the quality of your average comedy, fantastical or not.
What drags down the film is Ansari’s bizarrely awkward performance. It’s almost as if he was reading his lines for the first time at the first table read before production. He simply is unable to convincingly deliver dramatic or serious dialogue. This quality is also exacerbated by his script which, does have a lot of thematic and comedic strength, but purely from a character dialogue standpoint, Ansari struggles both on the page and on the screen.
The rest of the cast then has to pick up the slack and does an good job doing so. I’ll go on record and say that Keanu Reeves is not a great actor, but he has an endearing quality about him, especially as a naive and well-intentioned angel. Seth Rogen is good as always. And Keke Palmer has a commanding charm that is pretty magnetic. Honestly the movie really thrives when Ansari is off screen.
The economic message really did hit a chord with me though. While tech billionaires are building doomsday bunkers as AI takes over the world, the rest of us aren’t doing well. People are working multiple jobs. Struggling to form unions for better pay. Getting shitty tips while doing 10 Door Dash deliveries on the side. Can’t pay rent. Don’t have healthcare. This sentiment was strongly and authentically conveyed, even if the script lacks polish. Thematically it feels like the perfect time for the messages Ansari is focused on and I would anticipate it resonating with audiences.
Good Fortune is a solid comedy. It’s got some laugh out loud moments and a good message. I don’t anticipate it being a classic or even something I will revisit, but it’s original and interesting enough to be worth your time.
