Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune contains what just might be the most endearing character of the year thus far: Gabriel, an earnest angel tasked with stopping people from texting and driving who is eager to do more with his powers of divine intervention. The set-up is already strong, but it becomes even greater thanks to the person playing Gabriel: Keanu Reeves.

For his feature directorial debut, recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Ansari struck gold with Reeves’ casting, since so much of Good Fortune‘s comedy hinges on the angel. On its own, the movie is a witty — if at times heavy-handed — piece of commentary on today’s economic dysfunction and the gig economy, but it might not have hit as well without Reeves.

Certain he can do more than just prevent car accidents, Gabriel ignores instructions from his superior, Martha (Sandra Oh), and gets involved with a “lost soul,” Ansari’s Arj. Working a minimum wage job and living out of his car, Arj is at the end of his rope and sees little value in his life. Gabriel wants to save him.

Unfortunately, there’s a reason why Gabriel has so far stuck to minor interventions. Good Fortune finds his best intentions spiraling further and further out of his control, and watching it all unfold is a delight, especially since Ansari keeps the audience on their toes with a variety of twists.

Good Fortune’s Twist-Filled Story Smooths Over The Blunt Messaging

Arj’s path intersects with that of Jeff (Seth Rogen), a hugely wealthy entrepreneur who seems to have no idea exactly how privileged he is. He hires Arj to be his ᴀssistant, and the two get along perfectly — right up until a simple mistake prompts Jeff to fire Arj. With Arj questioning his very existence, Gabriel steps in and decides to use the tried-and-true method of forcing a lifestyle swap to give him a new purpose.

Arj takes over Jeff’s life, since, Gabriel reasons, he’ll see that the world of wealth and excess is a hollow one. Almost instantly, the plan goes awry because Arj rather likes the cushy life he’s been given, and he doesn’t want to go back, even when Jeff is clued in on what’s happening.

Things only escalate from there, but half of the fun of Good Fortune is processing each new swerve as they come. Ansari, who also wrote the script, keeps the plot light on its feet and always moving, making it an engaging watch. It falters somewhat in its overall messaging, with some bits of dialogue practically hitting viewers over the head with its meaning.

Even if it’s pretty blunt, though, the message here is a timely one, largely focusing on class inequality but also getting in a few jabs at AI. As Jeff is forced into Arj’s shoes, he begins to realize just how hard it is to make money without a stable job, and even as he’s mostly whining about trying to get back to his life, his worldview is changing.

Rogen and Ansari are a fun comedic pair, playing off each other with ease. Both Arj and Jeff go on meaningful journeys, though, of course, they’re the kinds of arcs you can predict almost from the start. The more impactful, poignant thread comes from Gabriel, who gets a big lesson in what it means to be human and truly help others.

Reeves is perfect for the role, since he somehow manages to seem both impressively wise and endearingly naive. Just try not to break out in a huge smile while watching him excitedly exclaim, “Chicken nuggies!” It’s a far cry from his latest John Wick appearance in Ballerina earlier this year. He’s a joy to watch every time he comes onscreen.

Outside of the central trio, Keke Palmer has a key role as Elena, Arj’s crush. She exudes the right amount of warmth and determination, though ultimately there isn’t much more to her role than love interest. Similarly, I wanted to see more from Oh, but her smaller role makes a bit more sense. Through her, we see more of the angel hierarchy, and it provides a fun bit of world-building.

In taking the leap from directing television to making a movie, Ansari has brought his familiar comedic charm to a solid, original story, and the end result is an all-around good time. Good Fortune will release nationwide later this fall, and I hope it finds an audience. Even with some missteps, it’s the kind of movie I suspect will resonate with a good many people — and not just because of our universal appreciation for Keanu Reeves.

Good Fortune premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and will release nationwide on October 17.