‘Your Lucky Day’ Review – The American Dream Turned Into A Bloody Nightmare

“Money doesn’t buy everything,” a stressed-out hostage remarks as she, her partner, and a store clerk are being held at gunpoint. The gunman quips, “That’s just a lyric they give poor people to say so they don’t feel bad about having nothing.” This sums up nicely the themes and motivation in Your Lucky Day. Director Daniel Brown makes his leap into feature films with this staggering, startling, and fresh thriller.

Leading up to Christmas, a drug dealer named Sterling (Angus Cloud) finds himself in a convenience store after being violently assaulted for his drug stash. As fate would have it, at the same time, a pompous rich man hits the lottery-pot of over $150 million. Finally having enough, the drug dealer decides to hide his face and, gun in hand, demands the man hand over the winning ticket. Unluckily for Sterling, a police officer hears the shouting and exits the bathroom, and a bloodbath ensues. Now a small group of patrons are being held hostage until Sterling can figure out what to do next. It’s decided that they stick together, hide the bodies, and split the loot. Of course, for the band of would-be thieves, it’s no one’s lucky day in this nerve-shattering film.

From the very first seconds, Brown brilliantly juxtaposes the sparkling excesses of the holidays with the dirty and unforgiving streets where people only wish to survive another day. Meanwhile, the rich get richer and devour everything in sight. Sure, maybe it’s not the most incredible or groundbreaking thematic narrative. Yet, as we currently live in a country where billionaires hoard wealth whilst people starve to death, it’s a prescient and worthwhile topic to explore. For the most part, Brown does a nice job getting his message across, all while never getting too preachy and not getting in the way of the action. This is a tricky balance, but for the most part, it’s very successful.

In a short amount of time, Brown can give us glimpses into these strangers who are brutally thrown together, and you find them relatable enough to root for them. Not only this but you cannot help but be impressed with the tension that is ratcheted up. The classic Hitchcock bomb theory is utilized in the form of a spent bullet casing that is shown to us, the viewer, unbeknownst to the characters. If this casing is discovered, it spells danger for innocent bystanders who enter the store. It’s touches like this that show that the filmmakers have a clear vision but also an understanding of how to engage and stress out their audience.

Brown sets up a very clear vision, and the themes of luck, privilege, and living in a rigged country are followed through in cunning and savage brilliance. Sterling may not be the smartest person in the room, yet he is savvy and relatable which makes him an unlikely anti-hero. Every character trapped in the store is struggling to make their way in America, and most try to game a system that is stacked against them. This delusion that all you need is to pull yourselves up by your bootstraps has long been shattered, and Sterling and others in his generation are left to pick up the pieces. The idea of a rich man winning an obscene amount of money is infuriating, and therefore when he is robbed, it’s hard to feel sorry for him. In a way, it is this questionable moral area that Brown forces us to examine. This idea of the winners writing the story, and indeed who can tell the best story, is also a thoughtful layer that is used extremely well throughout.

Despite enjoying the film, it’s not without some issues. There is a moment when the group splits up but never actually reforms. Sadly, the fascinating group dynamics and the narrative richness that can be milked from it suddenly disappear. This is the point where the movie drops off somewhat and never manages to rebound until the finale. Thankfully, there are enough tense and engaging twists and turns in the final minutes that help gloss over any minor narrative shortcomings.

Your Lucky Day is a blistering and tense commentary on the American dream turned into a bloody nightmare.

Your Lucky Day will debut in select theaters on November 10, 2023 courtesy of Well Go USA. The film will be available on Digital platforms on November 14th. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xMsdJvY0gk]