“Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die”: an absurd sci-fi comedy against AI

After nearly a decade away from film sets, Gore Verbinski returns to cinema with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, a feature film blending science fiction, comedy, and adventure, expected in theaters on April 15, 2026. Starring Sam Rockwell, the film premiered at the 2026 Berlinale in the Special Gala section. It remains true to the director's style, characterized by offbeat worlds and unconventional characters.

An unlikely mission to save the world

The story begins in a Los Angeles diner when a man claims to have come from the future to prevent a catastrophe linked to artificial intelligence. He explains that this is his 117th attempt and decides to recruit the customers present to form a team capable of averting the apocalypse. The narrative thus focuses on a group of ordinary individuals plunged into a mission that is far beyond their understanding, a far cry from the classic heroes of the genre.

Alongside Sam Rockwell are Juno Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, and Zazie Beetz. The film adopts a deliberately chaotic tone, multiplying absurd situations and offbeat action scenes. It develops a satire of the contemporary relationship with technology, particularly artificial intelligence, presented as a threat stemming from human use.

An ambitious but sometimes messy satire

The project is based on an original screenplay by Matthew Robinson, reworked to incorporate reflections on the omnipresence of screens, digital addiction, and transhumanism. The film thus attempts to encompass several themes simultaneously, treating them in an exaggerated and often provocative manner.

According to the information presented during its screening, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die stands out for its genre-bending and irreverent tone, but can also give an impression of excessive density. In attempting to address numerous topics related to technology and its potential pitfalls, the film piles on ideas without always exploring them in depth. What remains is a singular work, driven by Sam Rockwell's energy and true to the atypical universe of Gore Verbinski, who here makes a bold return to the cinematic landscape.