
- Starring
- Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh
- Written by
- Aziz Ansari
- Directed by
- Aziz Ansari
- Run Time
- 1h 38min
- Release Date
- October 17th, 2025
Overall Score
Rating Summary
If you’ve ever had a close call accident, you might’ve chalked it up to your guardian angel watching over you. I don’t know if they truly exist, but it’s as good an explanation as any for those sudden moments of intuition — when you sense something bad about to happen, seconds before it does. And if guardian angels are real, what do they look like? Most people imagine an older man with a white beard, but in Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, we get peak angel form — because it’s Keanu Reeves.
Life can be tough, and for Arj (Aziz Ansari), things couldn’t be tougher. A college graduate and documentary editor by trade, he’s been out of work and scraping by doing odd jobs — whatever it takes to survive. That includes acting as a taskmaster for anyone willing to pay, even waiting in line for “must-have” cinnamon rolls. No matter how hard he works, though, he’s always behind — living out of his car and searching for a break. That break seems to arrive when he meets Jeff (Seth Rogen), a wealthy man who hires Arj to organize his garage. After impressing Jeff, Arj talks his way into becoming his assistant — but just as things start to look up, he’s quickly let go.
At the end of his rope, Arj is approached by a mysterious man named Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), who claims to be an angel sent to show him that his life is still worth living. Gabriel offers Arj a chance to switch lives with Jeff, and through that experience — though it takes time — Arj begins to rediscover the beauty and meaning in his own life.
Written, directed, and starring Ansari, Good Fortune feels like the perfect vehicle for its cast. There’s plenty of charm here — enough to carry the film even when it doesn’t dig as deeply as it could. Ansari hints at thoughtful ideas about how empathy and perspective can change through experience, but he doesn’t fully explore them. Still, the film’s warmth and humor make it easy to forgive its lighter touch.
Good Fortune mostly hits its marks, delivering a genuinely funny, heartfelt take on a classic Hollywood premise. It balances laughs with heart, challenging old notions about happiness and wealth while keeping things breezy and accessible. If the film falters anywhere, it’s in its decision to wrap things up with a more conventional ending after such a fresh and engaging first half.
The cast makes up for those minor flaws. Rogen, Ansari, and Keke Palmer all turn in strong performances — but it’s Keanu Reeves who steals the show. His performance as Gabriel radiates sincerity; he never feels like he’s acting, which makes his quiet wisdom and gentle humor feel all the more real.
In the end, Good Fortune is an entertaining blend of humor, heart, and social commentary. It takes on big ideas about class, gratitude, and human connection — but never forgets to have fun while doing it.