When most movie fans think of Keanu Reeves, action is probably the first genre that comes to mind. Reeves is one of the defining action stars of his generation, with exhilarating titles like Point Break, Speed, The Matrix, and the John Wick franchise under his belt. But long-time fans of the actor know he’s capable of doing more than kung-fu and gun-fu. One of Reeves’ earliest breakout roles was Ted Logan in the sci-fi comedy Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, where he displayed strong comedic chops. That side of Reeves’ range came in handy in an underrated fantasy comedy that’s now available on Prime Video.
Aziz Ansari’s film Good Fortune has recently been added to the Prime Video library. In the comedy, Reeves portrays Gabriel, a guardian angel who attempts to help struggling gig worker Arj (Ansari) get his life back on track. In an effort to show Arj that money won’t solve all of his problems, Gabriel swaps Arj’s life with the wealthy Jeff (Seth Rogen). Gabriel then has to fix the situation when he realizes he inadvertently made things worse.
Released last year, Good Fortune didn’t make much of an impact. Though it earned positive reviews (79% score on Rotten Tomatoes), it wasn’t much of a box office draw. Good Fortune earned just $26.3 million worldwide against a production budget of $30 million. Despite opening during a relatively quiet stretch at the marketplace, the high-concept premise and star power wasn’t enough to get general audiences onboard. However, Prime Video subscribers shouldn’t let that underwhelming commercial performance stop them from adding Good Fortune to the watchlist.
Good Fortune is worth watching for Reeves’ performance alone. His Gabriel is the clear highlight. It’s an amusing riff on guardian angels; Gabriel is relegated to menial tasks like preventing people from texting while driving and aspires to be something more, giving the character a bit of an arc that supplements the Arj/Jeff conflict at the center of the story. Reeves is particularly inspired casting for the role of Gabriel. There’s a meta component to it, as Reeves himself is seen by many as a sweet angel. It’s also just a great use of Reeves’ comedic timing and sensibilities. He’s absolutely hilarious as a kind-hearted guardian angel who gets in over his head and learns how the real world works.
Reeves is the standout in Good Fortune, but Ansari and Rogen are also great, seamlessly sliding into characters they’re perfect fits for. All three actors have strong chemistry with each other, allowing audiences to easily buy into the dynamics and situations the characters find themselves in. It’s imperative that the cast works as well as it does, because Good Fortune admittedly isn’t the most original in the storytelling department. The narrative arguably follows a predictable trajectory, and it hits some obvious themes about the state of the world and the economy. Still, any shortcomings there are forgivable because the entire cast is at the top of its game. Good Fortune is always entertaining to watch, and “Keanu Reeves as a guardian angel” should be a strong enough hook for most people scrolling through the home page.
It’s unfortunate that Good Fortune was unable to find an audience during its time in theaters, but streaming gives it a new lease on life. Time and time again, we’ve seen box office flops surge up the streaming charts and catch on with viewers, somewhat making up for the box office performance. In some ways, Good Fortune is the kind of movie that’s tailor-made for a streaming resurgence. At the end of a long day, cuing up an easygoing comedy sounds like the perfect time to kill 90 minutes.
