---
title: "Good Fortune: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/good-fortune/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/good-fortune"
critics_score: 62
critics_reviews: 19
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Good Fortune (2025): what the critics said

Critics' score 62 from 19 reviews: 9 positive, 7 mixed, 3 negative.

The reviews lean mildly positive on Good Fortune, with praise clustering around the cast rather than the writing. Keanu Reeves’s bumbling angel is the clearest point of agreement: even several sceptical critics find him funny, endearing and worth the film’s uneven stretches. Supporters also welcome Ansari’s familiar body-swap premise and jokes about gig-economy life, finding warmth and recognisable hardship in a gentle comedy about wealth and happiness.

The spread is wide, especially over whether the social commentary has much to say. The Playlist finds biting satire and relatable struggles; The Telegraph regards the treatment of poverty as patronising. Between those positions, reservations recur about underdeveloped class politics, blunt messaging and difficulty balancing sentiment with comedy. Several reviews also question the pacing and crowded storytelling. The disagreement extends to the laughs: some find sharp jokes throughout, while others think the cast supplies charm that the script cannot consistently match.

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2025. Festival review. 

Ansari’s body-swap comedy debut is a charming, sharply written film with a blistering barrage of jokes and immense heart. It singles out Keanu Reeves for delivering the best comedic performance of the year as the endearing angel Gabriel.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/good-fortune-review-seth-rogen-keanu-reeves-join-director-star-aziz-ansari-in-impressive-debut/5208645.article)

## RogerEbert.com — Brian Tallerico

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 October 2025. 

Ansari’s debut is a vehicle for its cast’s charm, especially Keanu Reeves as a bumbling angel, making it hard to dislike despite flaws. The film’s social commentary on economic inequality feels underdeveloped and the ending rushed.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/good-fortune-movie-review-2025)

## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2025. 

More cute than hilarious, the film is a familiar body-swap comedy that highlights recognizable social injustice around gig work and inequality. It suggests true happiness lies in preserving the existing social order rather than upending it.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/movies/good-fortune-review.html)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2025. Festival review. 

Ansari’s directing debut uses a corny angel premise as shorthand for a working-class critique of capitalism and gig economy struggles. Reeves’ brainless angel steals the show in this sincere homage to high-concept studio comedies.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/good-fortune-review-aziz-ansari-keanu-reeves-1236514871/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Rechtshaffen

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2025. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film an alternately fun and clunky satire that honors its Capra and Sturges influences but struggles to blend comedy with earnest messaging. Keanu Reeves' performance as the inept guardian angel is singled out as the comedic highlight.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/good-fortune-review-keanu-reeves-aziz-ansari-seth-rogen-1236363375/)

## The AV Club — Tim Grierson

Rating C+. 14 October 2025. 

The critic calls the comedy pedestrian and naïve in its class-conscious approach, arguing it fails to convincingly portray the gig economy despite good intentions and nods to classic films. Keanu Reeves' angel character is praised as the most intriguing element.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/good-fortune-review)

## Little White Lies — Jenna Mahale

Rating 3/3/2. 17 October 2025. 

Ansari’s frothy big-studio body-swap comedy has virtuous intentions but disappointing execution and little substance or style. It praises the occasional smart joke and Keanu deadpan but complains that the class commentary is underbaked and the happy ending too pat.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/good-fortune)

## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2025. 

Ansari’s ambitious morality tale mixes celestial stories and body-swap comedy but struggles to balance its jabs at inequality with sentimentality. Reeves delivers one of his best recent roles as the disarming angel at the film’s heart.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2025-10-17/good-fortune-review-aziz-ansari-keanu-reeves-seth-rogen-keke-palmer)

## Radio Times — Steve Morrissey

Rating 3/5. 

Ansari’s feature debut echoes classic Hollywood comedies but tries to juggle too many story strands. It praises the choice casting, especially Reeves as vastly entertaining, and Ansari’s sharp jokes about gig-economy life.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-eqwuqm/good-fortune/)

## IndieWire — Beandrea July

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2025. Festival review. 

The review notes that the directorial debut is funny but ultimately flat, with jokes unable to mask deeper structural and thematic problems in its body-swap and guardian-angel premise. The lightness provided by the stars cannot overcome the film's shortcomings.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/good-fortune-review-aziz-ansari-keanu-reeves-1235149728/)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2025. Festival review. 

The film has noble intentions around reviving theatrical comedy and commenting on class divides and the gig economy but struggles with laughs and an awkward fit for Ansari's style. It ends up uneven, repetitive, and reliant on surface-level lessons with an unearned schmaltzy finish.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/07/good-fortune-review-aziz-ansari)

## Empire — Sophie Butcher

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2025. 

The critic calls the film a mediocre anti-capitalist fable that fails to deliver laughs or depth despite its cast and premise about wealth inequality. They highlight the stilted dialogue, lack of genuine comedy, and underdeveloped script as major shortcomings while noting some visual strengths.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/good-fortune/)

## The Telegraph

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2025. 

The comedy feels like a lazy, patronising lecture on poverty delivered by wealthy Hollywood figures, amounting to bilge that will mean little to those in the protagonist's position.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2025/10/17/good-fortune-review-seth-rogen-keanu-reeves/)

## The Playlist — Monica Castillo

Rating A-. 10 September 2025. Festival review. 

The critic commends the biting satire on the gig economy and wealth inequality, highlighting the sharp jokes, relatable struggles, and strong performances, especially Reeves as the angel, calling it a refreshing comedy with a message.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/good-fortune-review-aziz-ansaris-satiric-comedy-tackles-the-gig-economy-with-seth-rogen-keanu-reeves-tiff-20250910/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2025. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film a timely, hilarious gig-economy comedy that mixes life-swapping fantasy with social commentary and delivers plenty of laughs in a theatrical setting. Ansari’s directorial debut is praised for its comic timing and casting, especially the lead performances.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2025/09/good-fortune-review-aziz-ansari-seth-rogen-keanu-reeves-1236510832/)

## Paste — Jesse Hassenger

Rating 6.6. 17 October 2025. 

Ansari’s gentle, low-key comedy is more clever than riotous and benefits greatly from Reeves’ affecting, funny turn as an inept angel. The writing explores happiness under ordinary circumstances but can feel too explicit and the direction lacks grace.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/aziz-ansari/good-fortune-aziz-ansari-keanu-reeves-seth-rogen-movie-review)

## Collider — Joe Schmidt

Rating 7/10. 13 October 2025. 

The critic finds it an entertaining, humorous take on familiar body-swap and angel-intervention premises that does not always stick the landing. Standout performances from Keanu Reeves and Keke Palmer buoy the film despite some pacing issues.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/good-fortune-review-keanu-reeves-seth-rogen-aziz-ansari/)

## /Film — Michael Boyle

Rating 7/10. 7 September 2025. Festival review. 

The critic praises the film's grounded take on gig economy struggles and Keanu Reeves' charming performance as the angel, but notes it's not as funny as expected and works better as drama. It's a good but not triumphant debut.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1961255/good-fortune-review/)

## Polygon — Tasha Robinson

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2025. 

The film is not great overall—preachy, on-the-nose, and flat in places—but offers a uniquely fun showcase for Reeves as a mortal angel discovering small human joys. His rare on-screen smiles and loosened, goofy affect provide the real highlight amid the story’s economic themes.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/good-fortune-keanu-reeves-john-wick-matrix-pushback/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/good-fortune.md