"Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die" — A Time-Travel Carnival That Starts at a Diner
This action-comedy-sci-fi hybrid brings together Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple and Haley Lu Richardson at an iconic Los Angeles diner; a man claiming to be from the future takes the customers hostage and turns them into an unlikely team destined to save the world.
At 2 hours and 14 minutes, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die never loses the energy its title promises. In the opening sequence, set at an iconic Los Angeles late-night diner, Sam Rockwell's unnamed "Man From the Future" pulls a gun and takes the seated customers hostage. He's not after money or revenge — he's searching for "likely candidates" who can save the world.
Rockwell delivers exactly the kind of performance he should be giving at this stage of his career: half-mad, half-melancholy, entirely charismatic. Juno Temple's Susan starts out as the film's skeptical voice; Haley Lu Richardson's Ingrid, despite being the oddest of the bunch, becomes the group's emotional core. The three-way conversation at the diner table is the film's best 20 minutes.
The director uses sci-fi as a background texture; the real subject is what random people discover in themselves once they've gathered around a shared purpose. When the action arrives, it never slows the pace, but comes with a knowing grin: a chase sequence set in a motel room plays almost like a mini manifesto for exactly what the film wants to take from the genre.
The result: an R-rated, slightly chaotic film that often chases its own tail, but is an extremely enjoyable summer alternative. If you're suffering from blockbuster fatigue, stop by the diner — the bill won't be too steep.