Horror flicks may be the primary focus for many movie lovers in October, but there’s always room for a good supernatural comedy, right? Aziz Ansari sure hopes so, as he makes his feature directorial debut with Good Fortune. With a cast that includes Ansari, Seth Rogen, Keanu Reeves, Keke Palmer and more, this one has been on our radar as one that must be seen in the theater, so are critics in agreement?
Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune — which hits the 2025 movie calendar on October 17 — stars Keanu Reeves as Gabriel, a guardian angel who loses his wings after failing to prove to down-on-his-luck Arj (Ansari) that switching lives with rich socialite Jeff (Seth Rogen) won’t make him happier. Matt Fowler of IGN calls the movie “funny, sharp, and sweet,” as it somehow upends the It’s a Wonderful Life cliché but still manages to embrace it. He rates it a “Great” 8 out of 10, writing:
Good Fortune is a witty, warm, celestial comedy of errors that splendidly blends the wry world of the Frat Pack with the dopiness of Bill & Ted. It’s got great performances — including a devilishly angelic one from Keanu Reeves — and offers a fresh, funny look at modern hardships. Aziz Ansari may have had his initial film directing debut nixed a few years back, but the wait wound up being worth it as Good Fortune delivers the goods like a 5-star DoorDasher.
Brian Truitt of USA TODAY also says Keanu Reeves is “angelic” in this “heaven-sent” comedy, giving it 3 out of 4 stars. Aziz Ansari toes the line between hilarity and gravity, Truitt says, by using comedy to approach deep themes. The critic says:
The worst thing you can say about Good Fortune is there’s not enough of [Keanu Reeves] in it. (Honestly, you could say that about a lot of his movies – you can never have enough Keanu.) … Rogen’s chemistry with Ansari and Reeves lets him evolve Jeff from a lunkheaded, well-to-do dude to a guy who begins to understand the plight of the everyman. Each of the characters are extremely different, yet Ansari successfully drives home the point that empathy is what connects us all.
Joe Schmidt of Collider rates Good Fortune 7 out of 10, writing that it’s a fine first effort from Aziz Ansari at the helm, as he weaves a simple yet satisfying tale of people realizing they can both cherish what they have and fight to make the world better. Keke Palmer steals the show, in Schmidt’s opinion, and Keanu Reeves is a “godsend.” In the critic’s words:
Reeves’s role as Gabriel permeates every scene, even when he’s not physically present. Reeves channels his naivety from Bill & Ted, matched with the charm from Parenthood and Always Be My Maybe. This is fun Keanu, and we need to see more of it. Many of the funniest parts of the movie consist of seeing him interact in the real world for the first time. Even though his struggles come close to extinguishing his flame, he never loses his charm in his own journey of self-discovery.
Tim Grierson of AV Club grades the movie a C+, noting that Good Fortune acknowledges the anger that economic inequality causes but doesn’t dig too deep. Grierson wonders if Aziz Ansari’s message lacks heft because the actor can’t fully recognize the plight of those struggling to make ends meet. The critic says:
The sharp point of view and creative risk-taking present in Ansari’s acclaimed series Master Of None (co-created with Alan Yang) are nowhere to be seen in this pedestrian comedy full of convoluted plot points. Good Fortune starts and stops, moving from one tangent to another, failing to lock into a propulsive forward momentum. But the film’s main weakness is something far more fundamental: It is hard to watch Good Fortune, made by and starring well-paid Hollywood stars, and not conclude that, on some level, they don’t really understand what the gig economy looks and feels like.
Lindsey Bahr of the AP also says the life-affirming message that comes from Good Fortune feels hollow, despite the director’s good intentions. She gives it 2 out of 4 stars and writes:
Good Fortune gets a little lost in the logistics of its familiar high concept premise, involving a guardian angel (Keanu Reeves) who makes the poor guy (Ansari) switch with the wealthy guy (Seth Rogen). In its attempts to be empathetic toward everyone, it ambles around between absurdity, social realism and Apatow-esque antics trying to find its groove. And yet nothing is ever quite laugh out loud funny, which is shocking considering the people involved, and its messages are essentially toothless.
While there are some questions regarding Aziz Ansari’s feel-good message, it appears that critics are mostly on board with his directorial debut. Good Fortune holds a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so if you want to see the hilarity that ensues amongst this cast — including Keanu Reeves, who is apparently worthy of all the angel puns — the movie is in theaters as of Friday, October 17.