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“Good Fortune” opens with a magnificent shot: the Los Angeles skyline, a picturesque view and angelic Keanu Reeves standing atop the Griffith Observatory sporting white-feathered wings. This is just the start of the film’s absurdity and my laughter.

In his feature directorial debut, Aziz Ansari — who also wrote and starred in the film — delivers a fresh take on the age-old trope of an angel showing a dejected human the beauty of life. While not masterful like its predecessors, “A Christmas Carol” or “It’s a Wonderful Life,” an all-star cast featuring Reeves and Seth Rogen makes “Good Fortune” a memorable comedy with deeper meanings at its core.

While waiting in line to pick up a customer’s order, Arj (Ansari), a struggling gig worker, sees Jeff (Rogen), a wealthy venture capitalist, cut the line. Later, Arj coincidentally accepts a job organizing Jeff’s garage. The two hit it off, resulting in Jeff hiring Arj as his assistant, but they have a falling out, and Arj quickly gets fired. Soon after, Arj falls asleep in a Denny’s and wakes up to find his car has been towed.

Gabriel (Reeves), a guardian angel who specializes in saving people from texting and driving, sees Arj at his worst. He wishes to do something more important, like saving a lost soul, and uses this as his chance.

Against the will of his angel boss, Martha (Sandra Oh), Gabriel shows Arj his possible future. Unimpressed, Arj expresses his desire for a life like Jeff’s. Gabriel switches their lives: Arj is a wealthy venture capitalist and Jeff works gigs for extra cash.

Unique to “Good Fortune,” the angel and protagonist share the same issue; they’re each unhappy with their careers. The film is reminiscent of “Groundhog Day;” both are absurd movies that appear shallow on the surface, but really, they’re encouraging reminders that being human is beautiful and spreading kindness is free.

Gabriel wants to prove to him that money can’t buy happiness, but Arj expectedly relishes Jeff’s life, eating at expensive restaurants, hosting fancy parties and barely working.
Eventually, Martha takes Gabriel’s wings and turns him human. As a human, Gabriel experiences frustrations, such as paying taxes and earning little money grueling away as a dishwasher, but he also enjoys simple pleasures. One of the best scenes shows Gabriel’s first meal, consisting of a burger, chicken “nuggies” and a chocolate milkshake — which Gabriel hilariously mistakes for strawberry.

Toward the end of the film, Gabriel shares some of his favorite aspects of being human: tacos, dancing and laughing. His joyous experiences are powerful reminders of what we often take for granted.

Because Arj and Jeff switch lives, the recycled activities of each lifestyle make “Good Fortune” feel repetitive at times. However, solid performances from the cast limit the staleness of the plot.

At first, Reeves delivers a reserved performance, but as the story progresses, his character leans more into comedy. As a human, Gabriel becomes a chain-smoker, and because of his newfound love of food, unknowingly eats psychedelic mushroom-infused chocolate.
Reeves playing an angel is what sold me on seeing “Good Fortune” in the first place. His performance was filled with strong sincerity, but there were points where I wished he was more animated. I expected a wild, quirky angel, and while his portrayal worked well, I hoped for more playful antics.

Rogen’s off-the-wall performance complements Reeves well as their two characters experience Arj’s life together. Rogen plays smaller, hilarious parts in some of my favorite comedies (“Superbad,” “Step Brothers”), so it’s always delightful to see him portray a lead character.

Even just Rogen’s presence is funny. When Arj is donating plasma at the beginning of the film, it cuts to Jeff during an ayahuasca journey, where we hear Rogen’s wacky, signature laugh.

Ansari and Keke Palmer, who plays Arj’s romantic interest, round out the main cast. Palmer’s performance is incredibly charming, but her character, Elena, is also tough enough to humble Arj while he’s living Jeff’s wealthy life. I felt Ansari had the weakest performance of the bunch, but the “Parks and Recreation” star still pulls his weight while writing and directing, too.

In the end, Gabriel’s positive outlook on the human condition convinces Arj that his life is worth living. After switching back, Jeff, who understands Arj’s struggles, stands for gig workers. At one of his meetings, he demands benefits and higher wages for delivery drivers.

While the ending made the deeper themes evident, it’s also my biggest issue with “Good Fortune.” The film successfully critiques capitalist wealth inequality and advocates for kindness, but the conclusion was jam-packed and rushed, trying to neatly summarize all the social commentary.

Throughout the story, Jeff becomes sympathetic to gig workers, but Arj doesn’t have any major revelations until the very end of the movie. If Arj’s realizations were more evenly distributed, it would’ve cleaned up the ending.

Still, “Good Fortune” left me with a sense of reassurance and positivity. When Arj returns to his usual life, the Denny’s employee who told him his car had been towed offers him a ride. It’s a brief yet touching interaction that reflects the importance of being kind.

With a star-studded cast and consistent jokes, Ansari’s “Good Fortune” is a unique comedy that’s not only memorable, but meaningful.

Published on October 22, 2025 at 10:56 pm