‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Apocalypse

When my editors requested if anybody can be prepared to evaluate “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die,” my hand shot up solely on the energy of Sam Rockwell. I had heard nothing about this film, and the poster was not very a lot assist, however Rockwell’s stellar efficiency in “White Lotus” (I strongly advocate trying it up and exhibiting it to your pals, so long as they’re over 18) promised that I used to be in for a very good time. 

Deciding to not watch the trailer, I went into the film blind, understanding solely the essential premise: An unhinged Sam Rockwell recruits diner patrons to save lots of the world. Now, if you end up pondering that appears like one thing from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” first off, please be my pal, and secondly, you wouldn’t be that far off. A rollickingly poignant plunge into the world of synthetic intelligence (AI) and its risks, “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” gives a humorous, if not totally new, perspective on the matter with nice success. 

A raveled and dingy Sam Rockwell, taking part in an unnamed man, barges right into a diner, trying like a psych ward model of Kyle Reese from “Terminator” in a much less trendy trenchcoat. He rants about saving the world from AI, drop-kicking individuals’s telephones out of their arms as he speaks and reminisces about his one hundred-and-some-odd prior makes an attempt which have all gone horribly mistaken. Vowing that this diner holds the right mixture of individuals for his mission, he strongarms a ragtag A-Team of strangers to hitch him for this odyssey. If they’re to save lots of the world, these Merry Pranksters (I’m borrowing this time period from Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters as a result of the title feels virtually too becoming) should evade the boys in blue, goons with automated weapons, homeless males with machetes and the worst of all of them: screenagers.

I’ve already spoken in reverent tones of Rockwell’s deranged glory (he could also be within the working for many deranged actor, gaining floor on Robert Pattinson however nonetheless tailing behind Willem Dafoe for the distinction), however the remainder of the pranksters act as splendidly confused enhances to this cuckoo Kyle Reese wannabe. Michael Peña and Zazie Beetz play Mark and Janet, respectively, a pair slowly drifting aside however compelled to behave like a crew for one final journey. While this film is neither of their finest performances (see “Ant-Man” and “Atlanta” for a very good exhibiting from every), each Peña and Beetz present strong performances. Juno Temple of “Ted Lasso” fame portrays the grieving however persevering mom, Susan, a lady whose ache feels all too actual in immediately’s social local weather. To spherical out the group is Ingrid, phenomenally performed by Haley Lu Richardson. Ingrid is allergic to cellphones and WiFi (and I assumed individuals with nut allergic reactions had it tough), and her down-and-out princess apparel solely provides to the film’s humor. 

Now, you could be envisioning grabbing a heat bucket of popcorn and an overpriced, outsized soda that would quench the thirst of six males and pondering that this film can be a great way to show your thoughts off for 2 hours and get a pair laughs in. Don’t get me mistaken, this film is hilarious; the dialogue feels sharp, the flashback sequences by no means really feel pointless and the story engages you from begin to end. But there’s a deeper message that permeates all the runtime: unplug. The speedy developments in AI (don’t get me began on these AI promoting abominations which have proliferated, even into the Olympics) have left many afraid of a future the place screens appear unavoidable. It’s a scary idea, one which I applaud director Gore Verbinski for managing to convey in a means that feels digestible (though I nonetheless assume “Terminator” did the entire end-of-the-world AI factor higher). 

So for those who’re studying this in your telephone, activate don’t disturb, put the telephone down as a substitute of aimlessly switching between TikTookay and Instagram reels and go watch this film. Enjoy the laughs, admire the weird antics that open the film and by no means go away, however most significantly, attempt to deal with the topical message. Don’t be a kind of individuals who learn “American Psycho” and assume, “hey, this Bateman guy is pretty cool.” Do what this film needs you to: Use that frontal cortex and assume critically (or don’t, I’m not your mom).