The trailers for Good Fortune barely scratch the surface of the concepts that writer-director Aziz Ansari packs into this comedy. Aziz took the body-swap comedy and turned it into a commentary on class and what it's like to live in America today (2025).
Good Fortune takes the idea of It's a Wonderful Life and Freaky Friday and blends them into a story about a struggling gig worker named Arj, played by Aziz Ansari. Usually, these kinds of movies are a lesson in appreciating what you have and seeing that your life isn't that bad. Good Fortune says screw that and doubles down on how bad Arj's life is.
Part of the comedy comes from the constant struggle he is in to make it day by day — a challenging feat, but it's pulled off with a lot of charm by the leading man. The central conflict of the film, though, is getting Arj to return to his life. But who would want to go back to struggling? No one. If someone tells you they would, they are lying to you and themselves.
Without spoiling the movie, the conflict rests at the intersection of class and human connection. Arj finds himself in a life of luxury after the life swap, but at the expense of others. Arj stealing someone's life becomes a mirror for the way the wealthy benefit from others' suffering. The rich make choices that often result in others suffering — at times, blatantly stealing resources and labor. Sometimes it is more subtle, like employing AI to do human work, depriving them of income.
Arj, in his pursuit of a better life, continues the cycle perpetrated by the wealthy with divine help. It's a damning commentary on the relationship between workers and employers.
How do you stay sane in this system? How do we find value in our lives when the daily struggle keeps us feeling worthless? Welp, that isn't answered in this movie, but it's brought up and addressed with as much humor as possible without becoming a dramedy.
This leads into the second and third acts of the movie. This is when we begin to see how we are all connected, and it is here that we find worth in our lives.
Good Fortune is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the life-swap comedy, in that the end lesson isn't as much about finding the value in your life. More so, its lesson is about appreciating the small things in life — the food, people, and family we all have. Good Fortune is a must for anyone looking for a good laugh and thoughtful commentary.
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