Film Review – Don’t Say Good Luck

August 15th, 2026 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Don’t Say Good Luck (2026) is one of those coming-of-age family dramadies that we have seen countless times before. Navigating the ups and downs of high school while dealing with problems at home is no easy task for anyone, let alone a teenager. In lesser hands, this could have descended into yet another manipulative tearjerker. To be fair, it comes very close to that several times. But with director Julia Hart, this has a tenderness that overcomes any weaknesses. Its main goal isn’t just for us to reach for the nearest tissue box, but to present these characters as down-to-earth human beings going through all that life has to offer. It maybe uneven at times, but it never drifts away from being completely and utterly human.

This is another opportunity for Sunny Sandler to showcase her developing skills as an actor. We saw her prove her ability to carry a film in the underrated You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023). Now, we see her moving up from middle school to high school playing Sophie, a theater kid looking to score a big role in her school’s production of Waitress: The Musical. Sandler still exhibits a youthful persona but with deeper, more mature layers to explore. High school is a confusing time, as Sophie juggles trying to land a big part in the play, her developing crush on the production’s male lead, Jack (Jack Champion), her relationship with her BFF Carolyn (Scarlett Estevez) who is also part of the play but is starting to make plans, and just trying to find a place for Sophie to call her own. Sandler is effective in the role, including – but not limited to – displaying a talented singing voice. Sophie takes one step closer to her dreams when she discovers that, not only did she get into the production, she was cast as the main character.

The screenplay (Hart, Laura Hankin, Jordan Horowitz) juxtaposes Sophie’s determination to be great in the play with that of her family life. We find out early on that her mother, Elizabeth (Melanie Lynskey) has cancer for a second time. Unfortunately, the disease has spread further into her body. To keep Sophie and her younger siblings from being too distraught, Elizabeth and her husband Ted (Max Greenfield) try to keep their daily routines as normal as possible, including running their family-owned deli. But the illness quickly drains Elizabeth’s energy, leading to them calling on Sophie’s grandparents (Bebe Neurwirth, Steve Buscemi) to visit and help. All this puts Sophie in a precarious position. Everything she has worked for is leading up to the big performance at her school, but how can she think about that when her mother is at home sick? The main narrative tension revolves around Sophie dealing with these two contrasting parts of her life.

The strength of the writing and direction comes in the way it shows how an illness like cancer can either pull people apart or bring them together in profound ways. Neither Sophie nor Elizabeth want to be a burden toward the other, but that mindset works in opposite of their intentions. Elizabeth didn’t want to tell her kids about her condition right away, instead holding off until a later time. She also didn’t want the cancer to cause Sophie to abandon her theatrical ambitions, something she clearly has a passion for. But from Sophie’s perspective, the decision to keep her in the dark feels like a wall being built between them. We see this translated onscreen in scenes where Elizabeth, Ted, and Sophie’s grandparents have frank discussions (or arguments) while Sophie hides away in her bedroom. Hearing the voices of the adults while watching Sophie by herself is a stark reflection of the confusion and frustration cancer has placed onto the family.

But Don’t Say Good Luck isn’t all doom and gloom. There are instances where the narrative can be sweet and at times quite humorous. One such example involves the musical production itself, particularly the rehearsal stage. We see Sophie’s castmates play their characters with exaggerated Southern accents. The moment itself is funny, but it really pays off when Elizabeth – trying to calm Sophie’s fears of not giving an authentic performance – takes her to a store to deliver a believable accent to strangers. Melanie Lynskey is very good here, playing Elizabeth as lovely and caring – ready to do whatever she can for her family’s wellbeing. At the same time, Lynskey adds a darker undertone given the situation her character is in, knowing that she may not have enough time left to make new memories. There’s a ticking clock element to Elizabeth, in that she wants to make the most of whatever life she has left.

While there is plenty to commend here, there are also times where the narrative falls for the typical melodramatic tropes and cliches. Moments where characters can’t take it anymore and just blurt out all their pent-up feelings, or scenes that border on being a little too sappy. There are also sequences that are just plain clunky. One running gag involves Ted accidentally calling (or “butt dialing”) Sophie, causing her to listen to conversations that she wasn’t meant to hear. In a time of smartphones, touchscreens, and face ID, the notion that people can still butt dial others is a little farfetched. Another example of the narrative being less than convincing is the entire budding romance between Sophie and Jack. Sunny Sandler and Jack Champion look good together on screen, but we aren’t given enough of an explanation for why she is so drawn to him. Their dynamic remained on a surface level. We can see where their relationship is heading from a mile away, and when it gets there the result feels like a contrived plot point rather than a legitimate, dramatic turn.

Don’t Say Good Luck might be familiar, but it’s made with a ton of empathy and compassion. Julia Hart’s direction is observant yet unobstructive, and the performances (especially from Sandler and Lynskey) anchors the entire film. It takes two threads – life as a teen and life with cancer – and treats it with sensitivity and respect. This material could have been depressing, but instead it rises above that to find grace, joy, and love.  

Bebe Neurwirth, Don't Say Good Luck, Jack Champion, Jordan Horowitz, Julia Hart, Laura Hankin, Max Greenfield, Melanie Lynskey, Scarlett Estevez, Steve Buscemi, Sunny Sandler, Waitress: The Musical, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah