Good Fortune
Good Fortune is a 2025 comedy-drama film directed by Aziz Ansari, who also stars alongside Seth Rogen, Keanu Reeves, and Keke Palmer. The narrative centers on a well-meaning but inept angel, Gabriel (Keanu Reeves), who attempts to resolve the financial struggles of a gig worker named Arj (Aziz Ansari) by orchestrating a life swap with a wealthy tech entrepreneur, Jeff (Seth Rogen). This intervention inadvertently causes complications, leading to Gabriel losing his angelic abilities. The film explores themes of wealth disparity, the gig economy, and personal fulfillment through a comedic lens. It is rated R for strong language and depictions of drug use. The movie is positioned as a socially-minded comedy, offering insights into contemporary issues like homelessness and job dissatisfaction, drawing inspiration from classic films such as 'It's a Wonderful Life'. While it aims for an empathetic approach to its characters, the film contains content that parents, particularly Christian parents, should be aware of, including frequent strong profanity, substance use involving hallucinogens, and a worldview that some may find contrary to Christian teachings. Its blend of fantasy elements with social commentary is intended for older teenagers and adult audiences.
Concerns
Profanity
HighProfanity is frequent and strong throughout the film, including numerous uses of extreme expletives. There are also instances of misused religious terms.
The script features approximately 31 sexual expletives (f-words) and 19 scatological curses (s-words). Overall, about 54 obscenities are present, including 33 'f' words. The names of God and Jesus are misused approximately six times in total, including two instances of 'God damn.' Profanity is frequent, averaging roughly one 'f-bomb' every three minutes.
Substance Use
HighThe movie contains significant depictions of adult characters consuming alcohol and smoking. More critically, there are multiple instances of hallucinogenic drug use, including ayahuasca and psilocybin, some of which are inadvertent, and a reference to crystal meth.
Adult characters are seen drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. Characters, including Jeff, take hallucinogens like ayahuasca and psilocybin, sometimes inadvertently. After becoming human, the angel Gabriel (Gabe) is shown drinking beer, eating marijuana-infused candy, swigging from a small bottle of booze, and smoking cigarettes. One character, Jeff, takes a psychoactive drug that causes him to vomit. There is a reference to crystal meth.
Anti-Christian Themes
HighThe film incorporates a 'mixed pagan worldview' with unbiblical religious ideas about angels, including their ability to become human. It also presents themes interpreted as 'politically correct communist subtext' that challenge capitalist principles and include strong profanity using Christ's name.
The film includes 'goofy unbiblical religious ideas' such as angels losing their wings and being turned into humans, which contradicts Christian theological understanding of angels. There is 'one strong profanity using the titular name Christ' and two instances of 'GD' profanity. Movieguide critiques the film for its 'politically correct communist subtext about rich people versus poor people,' which it identifies as spreading a 'Marxist lie' that wealth is inherently accumulated on the backs of the poor, seen as an anti-Christian economic message. A review notes the film's perspective that 'traditional Christian ways of talking around social justice make little sense and provide little comfort' to those outside that framework.
Violence
MediumThe film contains light to moderate violence, including mild physical injuries from accidents and a non-fatal shooting. There is also a scene involving an angel preventing a suicide attempt, indicating a moment of intense emotional danger.
Characters are mildly injured in car accidents. A person is mistakenly shot in the arm. The angel Gabriel intervenes to convince Arj not to commit suicide. A car accident sends one man into a coma.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe movie includes mild romantic elements, some crude sexual references in dialogue, and instances of partial nudity in social settings. There is no depiction of explicit sexual acts or strong sexual immorality.
The script contains a few crude sexual references in dialogue. There are 'two or so light innuendoes' present in the film. A main character, Arj, starts dating a young woman named Elena. Scenes feature upper male nudity in a sauna and women in bikinis at a pool party.
Witchcraft & Occult
MediumThe film features a central supernatural premise involving guardian angels, with portrayals that deviate from traditional Christian theology. It also includes references to shamanism and hallucinogenic substances used in a spiritual context.
Keanu Reeves portrays Gabriel, a guardian angel who performs a body swap between Arj and Jeff. Gabriel's boss, Martha (Sandra Oh), an angel in 'angel management,' punishes Gabriel by removing his wings and turning him into a human. The wealthy character, Jeff, explicitly mentions seeking a 'shaman for an Ayahuasca trip.' The film presents 'goofy unbiblical religious ideas' regarding angels and their abilities.
Scary & Intense Content
MediumThe film includes emotionally intense situations, such as a character contemplating suicide and thematic exploration of profound despair related to poverty. While not a horror film, the dramatic elements and mild violence contribute to an overall sense of intensity.
An angel, Gabriel, intervenes to dissuade Arj from committing suicide, indicating a scene of significant emotional distress. One character is sent into a coma following a car accident. The film explores intense themes of wealth inequality, homelessness, and the gig economy's hardships.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe narrative features instances of characters acting disobediently towards authority figures, both human and angelic. This includes an angel defying his superiors and human characters resisting their circumstances or showing disrespect.
The angel Gabriel disobeys his superior, Martha (angel management), by intervening in Arj's life beyond his assigned duties, resulting in his punishment. Arj (Aziz Ansari) shows defiance by initially refusing to switch back to his old, struggling life after experiencing wealth. The wealthy character, Jeff, is described as 'self-centered and rude.' In the trailer, Jeff demands to 'meet with God dad' in a somewhat irreverent tone.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
LowNo explicit LGBTQ+ characters, themes, or gender identity discussions were identified in the available content reviews for 'Good Fortune'. The movie's plot and character descriptions focus on heterosexual relationships and broader social commentary. This assessment is based on comprehensive searches including specific LGBTQ-related keywords.
No specific characters are identified as LGBTQ+, nor are there explicit scenes or quotes discussing sexual orientation or gender identity within the provided search results. Fan communities and specialized LGBTQ+ media databases also did not yield relevant findings for this film. Reviews from outlets like Plugged In and Movieguide, which often detail such content, do not mention it.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Not recommended for children or younger teenagers due to strong language, pervasive drug use, crude sexual references, and themes that may challenge Christian theological perspectives. The MPAA rates it R, and parental reviews generally align with an adult audience recommendation.
Additional Notes
Good Fortune (2025) is an R-rated comedy-drama released by Lionsgate. Its content makes it unsuitable for younger viewers. Parents should be particularly mindful of the pervasive strong language and prominent drug use involving hallucinogens. The film's depiction of angels and its broader philosophical underpinnings regarding economic systems may also be a point of concern for Christian families seeking media aligned with their faith values. Director Aziz Ansari has explicitly stated his intention for the film to be an R-rated comedy released theatrically, aiming to explore themes like the gig economy and wealth disparity.
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