‘Good Fortune’ review: Seth Rogen, Keanu Reeves join director-star Aziz Ansari in impressive debut

Dir/scr: Aziz Ansari. US. 2025. 98mins

A blistering barrage of jokes backed by immense heart, Good Fortune is a surprising gift. In his filmmaking debut, writer/director Ansari plays Arj, a miserable gigworker pitied enough by the angel Gabriel (Keanu Reeves) to be granted the wish of switching lives with his uber-rich tech bro boss Jeff (Seth Rogen). Though Gabriel makes the change believing Arj will be miserable and want to quickly return to his former life, it turns out money does indeed fix your problems. Perplexed and forlorn, Gabriel must find a way to make things right in this charming, sharply written comedy. 

A belter of a debut for Ansari     

The Toronto world premiere represents a comeback for the Master of None creator and Parks and Recreation star following a 2018 accusation of sexual misconduct. Good Fortune’s blinding star power and timely skewering of capitalism, the gig economy and the disgustingly rich makes it a savvy bet for Lionsgate in a year where comedies such as The Naked Gun, Freakier Friday, and One of Them Days are making healthy profits. Anazari’s debut may very well do the same when it hits theaters in the UK and US on October 17 through Lionsgate.

The plotting of Good Fortune references the likes of Heaven Can Wait, It’s a Wonderful Life and Trading Places. Arj, an editor by trade, is living out of his car in Los Angeles and supporting himself through odd jobs: performing menial tasks via an app, food delivery, and working at a hardware store opposite Elena (Keke Palmer). When Arj is called to Jeff’s mansion to clean out his garage, he makes a good enough impression that Jeff makes Arj his assistant for a one-week trial period. When a cash-strapped Arj uses Jeff’s card on a fancy date with Elena, however, his is fired and his car towed. Eager to prove his worth, Gabriel – who here is the angel of texting and driving – decides to show Arj what his life would really be like if he were Jeff. 

He had not counted on the fact that Arj, who now has Jerry as his assistant, loves being a billionaire. In a bid to right the ship, Gabriel restores Jeff’s memory; he, in turn, agrees to let Arj continue being rich for a few more days before switching back. In the meantime, Gabriel loses his wings, a car crash puts Arj in a coma and Jeff must learn how to earn money in the economically unequal world he’s created. 

Ansari’s screenplay makes the most of the comedy talents of himself, Palmer and Rogen, with each getting their fair share of jabs and zingers. Yet Reeves is the star of the movie, givig the best comedic performance of the year. The actor’s signature tenderness and bewitching sincerity are backed by an adorable fretfulness that makes the well-meaning Gabriel – who comes to love tacos, dancing, and chainsmoking – an endearing character who recalls the ’sad Keanu’ memes that’ve become part of pop culture lexicon.

The cherry on top of the excellent cast, which also includes Sandra Oh as Gabriel’s boss Martha, is Ansari’s effective visual language. Ansari and DoP Adam Newport-Berra opt for dark shadows and expressive lighting, particularly in parrot green and canary yellow, to add an artful grittiness to this economically-conscious narrative that explains how crushing poverty both decreases one’s quality of life and makes it difficult to rebel. How can you mount a revolution when all of your time is dedicated to financial survival? Carter Burwell’s kooky score tastefully softens the film’s harder edges while adding greater levity to the wacky energy, which can struggle due to some questionable editing choices. 

There are other nitpicks: the film doesn’t deliver on the potential of Arj’s father playing a bigger role, Palmer is only handed two modes—organizer and lover—and the film’s schmaltzy ending lacks some punch. But, overall, Good Fortune is a belter of a debut for Ansari.