An intriguing title is only the start of this action packed movie consisting of fight scenes, bizarre realities and the horror of AI. “Good Luck. Have Fun. Don’t Die.” was released Feb. 13, which happens to be a Friday making that ironically a haunted date. 

Famous director Gore Verbinski, the mastermind behind the first three “Pirates of the Carribean” movies proved his prowess behind the scenes. Writer Matthew Robinson also gave the film a strong creative foundation.

The movie begins in a diner called “Norms,” however, this place is most certainly not normal. The camera pans in from multiple angles on unique interactions and people within the diner, then shows a clip of someone walking in the front door. That person is the “Man from the Future,” played by Sam Rockwell. It is explained that he is there to save the world from this supposed use of AI and he needs volunteers in order to do so. The perfect combination from the diner will allow them to save the world after 117 prior attempts, so he believes this time they may actually succeed. This unconventional beginning made the following scenes unpredictable and unique, shocking me with every twist. 

I was pleasantly surprised when the action started to pick up and the strange but so called “perfect” set of volunteers were chosen. They narrowly escape the police and it is revealed they must venture across town to integrate safety controls into a 9-year-old’s AI technology. 

The cinematography of the movie enhanced the atmosphere by incorporating small hints throughout that wouldn’t necessarily be caught unless you knew what to look for. Another artistic strength was the attention to detail when designing the props and sets. Throughout the entire movie something always feels slightly wrong or out of place, but appears normal when not paying close attention. This creative choice intensified the strangely robotic world they are living in. 

This film paralleled our world today, due to the accelerated rate in which AI is becoming part of our everyday life. It made me wonder whether this insane reality wouldn’t be too insane in the distant future.

Each main character was multi-dimensional and was well-developed, each one having a quirky aspect about them that all together made them the “perfect” volunteers. Each member of the team was able to highlight those aspects. Slowly throughout the movie it is revealed why each character has those quirky backgrounds or traits which proved everything is there for a reason. This aspect of the movie reminded me of the movie “Signs” directed by M. Night Shyamalan, also known for having every strange quirk about the characters mean something at the end of the movie. 

While I was watching this movie not once did I turn my head away from the screen. The run time being two hours and fifteen minutes may seem excessive, but it was essential in order to properly deliver this movie. The suspense of and the close alignment to our reality kept me engaged while also thinking which is the essence of a good movie. The subjective ending left me contemplating the true meaning of the movie, which is the perfect way to end. Each audience member creates a different ending in their head, therefore giving every person a unique experience.