A rougher slog to get to his directorial “debut” as a feature filmmaker than he would have liked, Aziz Ansari – seven years after he was accused of sexual misconduct and three years after his planned first feature, Being Mortal, was shut down over the inappropriate behaviour of its lead actor, Bill Murray – finally earns his director stripes with Good Fortune, a supremely sweet, particularly timely comedy about the pains of the working class existence.
Riffing on the Freaky Friday-like body swap mentality, Good Fortune follows struggling documentary editor Arj (Ansari), who, unable to find work in his intended field, has turned to doing a serious of monotonous, frivolous tasks for the wealthier subsect who fail to understand his genuine struggles. If they aren’t rude, they’re stiffing him on payments and 1-star ratings, forcing him to sleep in his car as financial stability proves inviable.
Luck looks to be on his side though when he meets Jeff (Seth Rogen, who was also set to co-lead on the aforementioned Being Mortal), an obscenely wealthy tech bro, who hires Arj to clean out his garage. They hit it off and Arj, utilising his charm, proposes he take on the position of Jeff’s assistant, to which he agrees for a one-week trial basis. Though he’s a little detached from reality regarding his wealth, Jeff is a pretty likeable millionaire, and Arj certainly enjoys the run-off perks of working for him. Additionally to new employment, Arj’s love life similarly starts to ascend when he meets Elena (Keke Palmer, another Being Mortal survivor), a former colleague at the Home Depot Arj briefly worked at who shares his affection for tacos.
Unbeknownst to Arj, his day-to-day activities are being overseen by a literal angel, Gabriel (Keanu Reeves, so impossibly sweet as he leans into his comedic sincerity), who is primarily meant to look out for those texting and driving – he sits in their car and taps them on the shoulder, which brings them to attention and avoid any accidents – but can’t help but be moved by Arj’s plight and, against angel protocol, makes himself known to Arj in an attempt to show him that his life is worth living.
The only problem is that Arj’s proposed life, where he works for a corporation as a delivery driver with such gruelling hours he has to carry a water bottle with him to urinate in, doesn’t enthuse him into believing his life is worth living, and Gabriel (a “budget guardian angel”, as Arj dubs him), thinking he’ll solve such an issue by showcasing that Jeff’s life isn’t all that grand, only makes things worse by doing a little life swap situation for Arj and Jeff (the former being aware of the trade, the latter oblivious), which only furthers Arj’s belief that money really does solve all of life’s problems.
Gabriel proposes Arj live in Jeff’s shoes for a week, but Arj is far from impressed with that deal, and when he learns that it’s he who can decide whether or not he wants to swap back he opts to live out the rest of his days with Jeff’s considerable wealth. This gets Gabriel in considerable trouble with his handler, Martha (Sandra Oh), and so his wings are clipped and he’s forced to live as a human as a sense of punishment. It’s here where Reeves really gets the chance to flex his underrated comedic abilities, bringing a sense of wide-eyed wonder to every human pleasure; cumbia dancing, eating tacos and chicken “nuggies”, drinking milkshakes, and even smoking (“I used to be a celestial being, now I’m a chain smoker,” one of his more amusing quips).
Despite the film being written, headlined and directed by Ansari, Gabriel is the character that Good Fortune makes the most intriguing. Arj stays mostly likeable and within reason, despite the fact he could truly go gonzo with Jeff’s wealth, and Jeff is a pretty standard archetype, but Ansari and Rogen portray both with the type of sincerity the film makes a point – perhaps so that whenever there’s the inevitable change of heart regarding their views on wealth, it’s done so in an endearing manner. Gabriel goes about his new found humanity like a deer in the headlights, tackling every challenge and simple pleasure with a true sense of wonder, and it’s when the film lets Reeves tap into his earnestness that Good Fortune is at its best and most endearing.
Given that the initial message appears as if money truly does make everything better, Good Fortune runs the risk of pleading the wrong temperament. It wouldn’t be out of the realms of possibility for comic minds like Ansari and Rogen to deliver comedy that has a darker edge to it, but Good Fortune has such a good heart that it keeps you with it as it truly tries to deliver its message that it isn’t wealth that defines someone. It takes a bit of time, but it gets there, and it does so rather organically, never feeling as if it preaches a message it hasn’t earned.
An easy, crowd pleasing comedy that, once again, showcases the communal space is necessary for the genre to garner the response it deserves, Good Fortune succeeds off both the playful chemistry between Ansari, Rogen and Reeves, and the hopeful sense that even when the chips are down, life finds a way to keep you treading above the water.
THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Good Fortune is screening as part of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, running between September 4th and 14th, 2025. For more information on the festival, head to the official site here.
Good Fortune is scheduled to be released in Australian theatres on October 30th, 2025.
