Good Fortune Cast Guide: Who’s Who in Keanu Reeves’ Supernatural Comedy

Keanu Reeves traded headshots for a halo. Sort of. In Aziz Ansari's supernatural comedy 'Good Fortune,' Reeves plays a guardian angel on a shoestring who's great at stopping texts-while-driving and Heimlich maneuvers, less great at literally everything else. The movie bowed at TIFF on September 6, 2025, pulled strong early buzz, and is sitting at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Under the goofy setup, Ansari is poking at class, labor, and how money warps everything, but he keeps it brisk and punchy.

What this thing is

This is Ansari's feature directorial debut, and he also stars. After his first attempt at directing (the shelved 2022 film 'Being Mortal') fell apart, he regrouped and jumped into 'Good Fortune,' reportedly energized by how well 'Barbie' did. The result is a body-swap comedy with moral panic baked in: an angel tries to teach a broke guy that money isn't the answer by dropping him into a rich guy's life. It goes spectacularly wrong.

Cast and characters

Keanu Reeves as Gabriel

Forget the Old Testament version. Reeves plays Gabriel as a 'budget guardian angel' whose miracles cap out at everyday lifesaving and annoying pep talks. He's well-meaning, meddlesome, and kind of bad at his job. Looking for purpose, he latches onto Arj (Ansari) and tries to prove that wealth doesn't fix your life by swapping Arj into his boss's body. It backfires. Gabriel gets punished, loses his wings, and watches his past good deeds start to unravel while he is stuck on Earth.

Aziz Ansari as Arj

Ansari, who broke out on 'Parks and Recreation' and co-created the 94%-on-RT 'Master of None,' plays Arj, a guy scraping by on odd jobs for a loaded socialite. After one lousy day too many, Gabriel offers cosmic 'guidance' via a body swap with Arj's rich employer, Jeff. Surprise to no one but Gabriel: Arj figures out money actually does solve his immediate problems and decides to keep Jeff's life, house, and bank account.

Seth Rogen as Jeff

Rogen leans into excess as Jeff, a venture capitalist who lives loud: modern mansion, garages full of toys, a pool, even a basement disco, plus the kind of LA parties that have a line item for a shaman-led ayahuasca trip. When Gabriel flips the switch, Jeff gets stuck in Arj's body and, because Gabriel is now wingless and grounded, ends up sharing a roof with the fallen angel. Odd couple, but with celestial HR watching.

Sandra Oh as Martha

Sandra Oh (you know her from 'Killing Eve' and 'Grey's Anatomy') shows up to deliver consequences. As Martha, a higher-up in angel management, she yanks Gabriel's wings and powers after his meddling creates a very human mess for two men who did not ask for metaphysical life lessons.

Keke Palmer as Elena

Emmy winner Keke Palmer pops in as Elena, Arj's co-worker at a local hardware store. She's busy organizing, pushing for better conditions, and trying to unionize while Arj is off living someone else's life. Ansari calls her the movie's moral compass, and he actually wrote the role with Palmer in mind.

'My character has given up, and Keke's character is fighting. Her journey in trying to unionize is a contrast to Arj, who has lost all hope. I was so glad she was able to do it.'

So, does it work?

Critics are largely into it. The early read is that it's a sharp, good-hearted comedy that actually has something on its mind. Think fizzy setup, tart aftertaste.

Quick specs

• Director: Aziz Ansari
• Writer: Aziz Ansari
• Cast: Keanu Reeves, Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Keke Palmer, Sandra Oh
• Runtime: 97 minutes
• Budget: $30 million
• Festival premiere: Toronto International Film Festival, September 6, 2025
• Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
• IMDb: 6.8
• Theatrical release: October 17, 2025

Reeves returning to broad comedy after a decade of 'John Wick' headshots: upgrade, downgrade, or perfect palate cleanser? Tell me where you land.