Gore Verbinski breaks down Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’s most controversial scene

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The film ‘Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die’ takes an unexpected turn with a school shooting scene. Director Gore Verbinski shares the reasoning behind this shocking inclusion in an exclusive interview.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die features Sam Rockwell as a time traveler trying to save the world from a future where artificial intelligence has become dangerously advanced.

The movie first premiered at Fantastic Fest, and in our review, we noted that it attempts to combine exciting, large-scale action with a time travel story, all while offering a sobering commentary on the Earth’s current situation.

There’s one part of the movie that’s especially unsettling, and the day after the first public showing, we asked director Verbinski why he included such a scene in what’s mostly a funny film. Be warned: some spoilers follow…

Gore Verbinski on school shooting in Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die

About halfway through the movie Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, a school shooting occurs unexpectedly. The film doesn’t show the shooting itself, but focuses on Susan (Juno Tempo), the mother of one of the students, as she finds out what’s happening while she’s waiting outside.

The movie takes a surprisingly dark turn, shifting from lightheartedness to a sharply comedic story about cloning. It was a bold move to introduce such a controversial subject into a widely appealing film, so we spoke with the director, Verbinski, to learn how this change came about.

“It was written in the script,” they explained. “I didn’t want to reveal it visually – I wanted Juno to figure out what was going on just from the dialogue, before she even left the car.”

Verbinski explained the scene is meant to start a conversation. He used the analogy of changing tires on a road covered in nails, saying we’re focused on a temporary fix instead of addressing the real problem. He believes this highlights how absurd it is that we aren’t even talking about the core issue.

We welcome any criticism of the film because the criticism itself becomes part of the conversation the film is trying to have. It just adds another level of how strange and unexpected things are.

Regarding the sudden shift in the movie’s mood, director Verbinski explained that the audience’s reaction – going from disturbed to laughing – was largely due to Juno’s performance. He believes she portrays a genuine, honest, and relatable character, which is especially impactful in a world that often feels cold and uncaring.

It feels like a situation straight out of Franz Kafka’s The Trial, where a person struggles to understand what’s happening to them, even though their own feelings make sense, while the world around them doesn’t. Ultimately, all she wants is her child back.

Okay, so that crazy car spin in the movie? Well, Gerbinski thinks we’re so used to seeing stuff like that in action films now, we don’t even question it. It’s like our brains have just accepted it as normal, which is kinda wild when you think about it.

He noted that traditionally, it was believed you shouldn’t combine different film genres or tones. But now, that’s all anyone seems to be doing. He believes this opens up endless creative possibilities, and that’s where independent filmmaking really shines.

The new film, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, is now playing in theaters. You can also find our full interview where director Gore Verbinski shares his thoughts on artificial intelligence.

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2026-02-13 15:49