Filmmaker Gore Verbinski has been entertaining movie lovers for decades with films like The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean and Rango, but after a couple of flops, he disappeared for a decade. Finally the director has returned with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, a sci-fi action-comedy that hits the 2026 movie calendar on February 13. Critics have seen the flick and are generally in agreement about this “bonkers” return.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die stars Sam Rockwell as a man from the future who’s caught in a time loop as he attempts to save the world from the A.I.-dominated era he came from. Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Juno Temple and more also star in the flick that’s being celebrated by critics including Kristy Puchko of Mashable, who calls Gore Verbinski’s middle finger to A.I. “earnest and human and utterly bonkers,” writing:
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die is an exciting entry into the ‘rise of AI’ movies, in no small part because it rejects the idea that defeating the machine — or even the machines themselves — will look cool. Heroism isn't always bullet-time precision and sleek style. Sometimes, this madcap movie suggests, heroism is grungy, petty, and uncool, and requires showing up and getting out of your comfort zone. While Verbinski gets verbose in his execution, there's no denying that Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die offers an entertaining adventure, rich in ideas and imagination.
Chris Bumbray of JoBlo rates the upcoming action film a “Great” 8 out of 10, admitting that Gore Verbinski is taking a wild swing with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, but it’s one of the more “invigorating and original pieces of sci-fi” the critic has seen in a long time. Bumbray says:
While Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die isn’t quite on the level of [Terminator or The Matrix], it comes closer than you’d think, with it being Verbinski’s most satisfying film in over twenty years. He’s helped immeasurably by star Sam Rockwell, whose performance perfectly taps into the heightened, sci-fi-comic vibe of the movie.
Peter Debruge of Variety says Sam Rockwell carries the comedy of the movie, particularly with his character’s exaggerated impatience with a society that needs to be scolded as much as it needs to be saved. Debruge’s review of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die reads:
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is an unapologetically irreverent, wildly inventive, end-is-nigh take on the time-loop movie — call it ‘Terminator 2: Groundhog Day’ — except that here, Rockwell’s dizzy protagonist knows what it takes to stop the cycle. He just hasn’t come anywhere close to doing so in the 117 attempts he’s made so far.
Aidan Kelley of Collider also gives it an 8 out of 10, saying this “raucous” sci-fi action flick is filled to the brim with absurdist comedy, creative insults, frenetic camera work and insightful commentary on the state of the world. In Kelley's words:
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die comes sprinting out of the gate with a ridiculously entertaining opening scene. A scene that is very much aided by an unsurprisingly charismatic performance from Rockwell, who is practically bursting at the seams with personality and charm. Rockwell has always been an actor known for his comedic side, being of equal impressive measure to his dramatic one, and he gets to use both to tremendous effect in Verbinski's sci-fi saga.
David Rooney of THR says it’s good to have Gore Verbinski back behind the camera, and Sam Rockwell is great with his “wry balance of doofus, savant and wisea--,” but it falls just short of expectations with a script that isn’t as funny or fresh as it should be. Rooney continues:
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die doesn’t quite deliver on the sardonic promise of its catchy title, but its appealing cast and Verbinski’s flair for kinetic action set pieces make it a reasonably entertaining entry in the canon of gonzo sci-fi comedies fueled by existential dread about the dystopian techno-dominant reality we’re already trapped in. What holds the film back most — aside from its indulgent run time of two-and-a-quarter hours — is a script by Matthew Robinson that’s only occasionally as funny or fresh as it should be.
Most of the reviews for Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die are positive, with the movie standing at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. If fighting an A.I.-dominated future is at the top of your to-do list (or must-see list!), check out Gore Verbinski’s return to filmmaking starting Friday, February 13.
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