Don't Say Good Luck Reviews

this movie was saddening, i think it was well made but it hit the heart. i can’t imagine losing my mom or mourning her before she even passes, having to carry on your normal life and hoping things don’t change at the same time. 10/10

Don’t Say Good Luck — Review

Definitely thought this was good! It’s nothing we haven’t seen before—it’s a very straightforward drama—but I think what makes this movie stand out is who it’s clearly trying to appeal to. It’s obviously made for a general audience, but even just listening to the soundtrack, you can tell they really wanted Gen Z to be one of their main audiences. And honestly? I kind of loved that. (Of course because I’m Gen Z 😛)

I also think they did a great job portraying the theater-kid experience because the entire time I was watching this, I kept thinking, “Yeah, she’s being SO dramatic…but that is actually extremely accurate.” 😭 The theater-kid mannerisms, the intensity, the way everything feels like the end of the world—it was honestly pretty spot-on.

Melanie Lynskey did a really good job, although I do wish they had explored her character more. I feel like the movie spends so much time focused on her daughter, which I understand, and I do like Sunny Sandler, but at the same time I kept thinking, “Girl…your mom is literally dying. Why are we this concerned about your musical?” 💀 No shade, no shade.

And speaking of the cast: this ensemble is STACKED. Like, you know Adam Sandler money was involved when you’ve got Steve Buscemi, Max Greenfield, Stephanie Beatriz, Melanie Lynskey, and everyone else they managed to pull together. The casting was honestly insane.

I do have to talk about Sunny Sandler, though, because I think it’s fair to acknowledge the obvious: the biggest reason she got this role—and honestly, probably a major reason this movie exists—is because Adam Sandler wants his daughters to succeed. That is nepotism at its finest. 😭

That said, his nepotism babies are probably some of the least insufferable ones in Hollywood. Sunny genuinely isn’t bad, and I actually really like watching his daughters in these Netflix movies. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah was great, Roommates was fantastic, and I’ve enjoyed seeing them in main roles.

Sunny did a good job here, but I have to be honest: there were definitely moments where I could tell she’s still developing as an actress. The crying scenes especially…girl 😭. I was sitting there thinking, “This is not quite landing.” And I know she’s young—we’re literally the same age—so I’m not saying that to hate on her. It’s purely an observation about her acting right now. She has a lot of potential, and I genuinely think she could become a really good actress with more experience. I’ll absolutely watch whatever she does next. Maybe just…work on the crying. No shade. 💀

The music was also really good! There were a lot of songs I recognized, which I always appreciate, and the soundtrack fit the movie really well.

Now, the love interest. Jack Champion… I am SO sorry. 😭 First of all, that haircut was criminal. Secondly, I just did not buy him as a high schooler. Sunny? Absolutely believable. Him? Every time they kissed, I was sitting there like, “Girl, that is a GROWN MAN.” 💀 It genuinely felt like watching a 16-year-old kiss a 25-year-old, and I was like, “Oh hell no, get them out of here.”

I literally had to look up their ages afterward because I was so uncomfortable, and apparently he’s 21 while she’s 17. So obviously, it’s not actually the age gap I thought it was. 😭 But that’s exactly my point: he just wasn’t believable as a teenager. It’s not even a criticism of him personally. He simply looked too old for the role.

Also, what is it with the movies with his daughters and always making the main love interest kind of a dick? 😭😭😭 Like why is he ALWAYS an asshole at some point?! Thankfully, he wasn’t nearly as bad as the guy in * Roommates*. Oh my GOD, I hated that dude.

And finally, can we talk about the “best friend is secretly the problem” trope? Because You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, The Roommates, and now this movie have all done some variation of it, and I’m getting tired of it. 😭

Except honestly? In this movie, I don’t even think the best friend was doing anything wrong. She was pretty chill, and it was completely understandable that she didn’t want to keep participating in the play just to spend more time with her friend. She got a girlfriend and wanted to focus on her own life. Meanwhile, Sunny’s character was kind of being an asshole about it. 💀

And she was also weirdly annoyed that her best friend had a girlfriend, which I feel like was never really addressed. At one point, I genuinely thought the movie was setting up Sunny’s character to be bisexual and have feelings for her best friend. But apparently not? 😭 I guess you could interpret it as her simply being used to having her best friend all to herself and struggling with the fact that someone else is now taking up her time, but girl…you were being ridiculous. And annoying.

AND WEIRD. 😭

Overall, though, I enjoyed it! It’s not some groundbreaking drama that I’ll be thinking about for years, but it’s a solid, easy watch with a great cast, good music, some genuinely funny moments, and a pretty accurate depiction of theater-kid chaos. I’d say it’s worth watching if you’re into these Netflix coming-of-age dramas.

Anyway, that’s my review. Bye! 😭