Will Aziz Ansari Find ‘Good Fortune’ With His Directorial Debut Film After a Series of Career Setbacks?

After years in the shadows, Aziz Ansari is making his directorial debut with a bold gamble—a theatrical comedy in an era when studios have largely abandoned the genre. But his path to “Good Fortune,” which premieres October 17, has been anything but smooth.

The film, starring Ansari alongside Keanu Reeves and Seth Rogen, represents both a creative pivot and a personal comeback for the comedian-actor-writer who disappeared from public view following a 2018 sexual misconduct allegation and the subsequent collapse of his first directorial project.

Ansari’s journey to “Good Fortune” began with disaster. His original directorial debut, “Being Mortal,” was shut down in April 2022 after Bill Murray was accused of sexual misconduct involving a female crew member. The veteran funnyman paid more than $100,000 in a settlement after the encounter he claimed was a joke but which the victim saw as sexual, leading to production being suspended.

Ansari, who faced allegations of sexual misconduct in 2018, told The Hollywood Reporter he still hopes to finish “Being Mortal” with Murray. He recalled that production on the movie was about three-quarters completed when it was halted. The collapse left Ansari scrambling to rebuild, but also provided an unexpected opportunity.

Ansari’s longtime friend Rogen, who inspired the implementation of several elements into the film, joined shortly after “Being Mortal” was shelved. From the ashes of one project emerged another—a body-swap comedy that would serve as Ansari’s actual directorial debut.

A Risky Theatrical Bet

“Good Fortune” arrives at a time when theatrical comedies have become endangered species. The absence of big-screen comedies, once an almost weekly occurrence, has become such a widely complained-about issue that the rare novelty of one actually being made has turned into a marketing tool, The Guardian says. Ansari has positioned himself as a defender of the theatrical comedy experience, believing in its importance even as the industry has largely moved such content to streaming platforms.

The film follows Arj (Ansari), a struggling gig worker who sleeps in his car between thankless retail jobs, and Jeff (Rogen), an indulgent tech bro whose world consists of cold plunges and $250,000 watches. When an ambitious guardian angel named Gabriel (Reeves) switches their lives, chaos ensues as Arj discovers that being rich actually does solve problems and refuses to switch back.

The central challenge facing “Good Fortune” lies in translating Ansari’s particular comedic sensibility to a broader theatrical audience. Ansari is an undeniably funny person but his style of humor isn’t an obvious fit for a belly-laugh comedy.

The film is described as featuring “A well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel [who] meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker and a wealthy venture capitalist.”

Mixed Critical Reception

Early reviews of “Good Fortune” reveal a divided critical response. The Guardian’s review was particularly harsh, noting that while Ansari has his heart in the right place, he can’t find a way to weave in timely commentary on class and work into a heightened knockabout comedy, and ends his uneven film on a note of unearned schmaltz.

However, other critics have been more generous. Screen Daily called it “a belter of a debut for Ansari”, while SlashFilm noted that “Good Fortune” is a must-watch for any fans of the last major project Aziz Ansari directed and starred in, his poignant Netflix dramedy “Master of None.” His debut movie has a similar easygoing vibe; it’s sad but never too sad, funny but still grounded.

The Daily Beast’s review struck a middle ground, observing that “Good Fortune is generally more pleasant than uproarious, tamping down its outrageousness in favor of warm and cuddly sentimentality. Still, its narrative escalates drolly, with absurd developments piling on top of each other, and Ansari, Rogen, and Reeves develop a likable chemistry.”

Critics seem to agree on one point: Keanu Reeves steals the show. Multiple reviews highlight his comedic performance, with many noting his departure from franchise filmmaking as refreshing, though some question whether his one-joke character sustains throughout the film.

The Challenge of Translating Ansari’s Style

The central challenge facing “Good Fortune” lies in translating Ansari’s particular comedic sensibility to a broader theatrical audience. Ansari is an undeniably funny person but his style of humor isn’t an obvious fit for a belly-laugh comedy. His smart and stylish Netflix series “Master of None” was a show of wry observational humor about the often absurd realities of dating and work and friendship. It felt like the perfect mode for Ansari, who also made for a charismatic lead.

The Guardian review noted this disconnect, explaining that transporting his sensibility to a high-concept comedy fantasy is a gambit that just sadly doesn’t work, the multi-hyphenate losing himself and his personality.

Critics have consistently praised Ansari’s intentions—his desire to address class inequality and the gig economy’s harsh realities—but questioned his execution. The film appears to struggle with tonal consistency, attempting to balance grounded social commentary with magical realism and broad comedy.

The film’s path to completion was itself eventful. The film was set to begin principal photography in May 2023, but due to a production shutdown in the middle of the month due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, filming started in late January 2024 in Los Angeles, when Palmer announced she had joined the cast. The majority of filming wrapped before April 2024, with some scenes picked up at a later date after an injury Reeves sustained two weeks into filming had healed.

A Career at a Crossroads

“Good Fortune” represents more than just Ansari’s directorial debut—it’s a test of whether he can successfully navigate back into mainstream entertainment after years of reduced visibility. After near-cancellation and a blown-up directorial debut, Ansari reveals how he convinced two of his A-list friends to star in a new angel-themed comedy that breaks every Hollywood commandment.

The film’s October 17 theatrical release will serve as the ultimate verdict on both Ansari’s comeback and his belief in the power of theatrical comedy. Whether audiences will embrace his particular brand of class-conscious humor wrapped in magical realism remains to be seen.

For Ansari, “Good Fortune” represents both a creative risk and a personal statement—that despite setbacks and industry skepticism, there’s still a place for thoughtful comedy on the big screen. The question now is whether moviegoers agree, and if his good fortune extends beyond the title of his film to its box office performance.

This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.