The American Dream is a fickle concept. Ask two people what they consider it to be, and you’ll likely get two very different answers. However, at least one common element in this elusive mystery is the prospect of money — a hell of a lot more of it. Some people go to extremes to achieve this, but many likely haven’t gone to the lengths shown in Dan Brown’s directorial debut, Your Lucky Day.
On one fateful holiday evening, six people enter a Miami gas station, one of whom finds out he’s won $156 million from a lottery ticket. Unfortunately, drug dealer Sterling (Angus Cloud) kills him and mortally wounds a police officer shortly afterward. He then takes shop owner Amir (Mousa Hussein Kraish) and expecting couple Abraham (Elliot Knight) and Ana Marlene (Jessica Garza) hostage and makes them an offer they can’t refuse: work with him to cover up the two murders he committed, and receive a cut of the winning lottery ticket. If only it were that easy, and if only this concept produced a more interesting movie.
There is just something about the film that feels lifeless, especially when the stakes ramp up even further. This could be a result of Brown’s lackluster direction, which frames each scene in an egregiously tedious manner. Nothing that is happening on-screen is paced with the urgency that the circumstances imply. That being said, the press notes detail how making his directorial debut was a labor of love for Brown — an admirable feat to be sure, given the current state of the filmmaking industry.
It is clear that there is potential in Brown’s storytelling capabilities, as the core of Your Lucky Day is compelling and thought-provoking enough to explore. It’s also clear that every character in the film has thought of what they’d do with the $156 million; their motivations are reinforced to the audience as they encounter each obstacle in their way. Unfortunately, these motivations feel like the only thing defining the characters, making it difficult to truly care about their journey beyond the surface. The performances vary in authenticity as the movie progresses, with Garza giving the most consistently engaging performance. That being said, the recently departed Cloud does give an appropriately deadpan yet oddly touching performance, even if the script does give him some of the most eye-rolling commentary of the film.
There is a lot of potential simmering underneath the surface of Your Lucky Day. From the engaging idea to the subtle environmental quirks, this is a solid vision that Brown is trying to convey. The keyword, unfortunately, is tried, as the final result just ends up feeling dull and lifeless. Hopefully, with enough time and resources, many of these issues can be a thing of the past for the filmmaker. After all, isn’t that stylistic progression what other filmmakers reaching for their own American Dream strive for?
