Anti-AI comedy 'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die' falls short

Sam Rockwell shines in zany opening, but the film struggles to maintain focus and entertainment value

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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In a diner in Los Angeles, a hooded man (Sam Rockwell) announces he's from the future, strapped with explosives, and has come to recruit a few patrons for a mission to alter an artificial intelligence that has made his time 'a nightmare apocalypse.' This crackly opening stretch is the high mark of the comedy-heavy science-fiction adventure, which ultimately becomes an unfocused mish-mash of ideas that fails to stand out despite its zaniness.

Why it matters

The film's anti-AI message and cautionary tale about technology addiction remains relevant, but it struggles to offer a fresh perspective amidst the growing number of similar AI-inspired stories.

The details

The Man From the Future collects a group of unlikely heroes, including teachers Mark (Michael Peña) and Janet (Zazie Beetz), a distraught mother Susan (Juno Temple), an Uber driver Scott (Asim Chaudhry), and a tech-averse Ingrid (Haley Lu Richardson), to embark on a journey to stop a powerful AI entity from being created. Along the way, the film attempts to flesh out some of the characters with flashbacks, but these efforts are uneven in their success.

  • The film was written by Matthew Robinson in 2020 and sent to Sam Rockwell in 2022.
  • 'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die' is being released in theaters on February 13, 2026.

The players

Sam Rockwell

An acclaimed actor known for films like 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' and 'Jojo Rabbit', who portrays the hooded Man From the Future in the film.

Matthew Robinson

The screenwriter of 'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die', whose previous credits include 'Dora and the Lost City of Gold' and 'Love and Monsters'.

Gore Verbinski

The director of the film, known for helming the first three 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movies as well as the underrated 'A Cure for Wellness'.

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What they’re saying

“Clearly no fan of AI, Verbinski, according to the film's production notes, read Robinson's script back in 2020 and sent it to Rockwell two years later.”

— Mark Meszoros, Reviewer (marinij.com)

The takeaway

While 'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die' has a promising start and some entertaining moments, the film ultimately struggles to maintain its focus and deliver a truly memorable anti-AI comedy. The growing number of similar cautionary tales about technology addiction makes it difficult for this film to stand out, despite the efforts of its talented cast and crew.