‘Don’t Say Good Luck’ movie review: A familiar cancer dramedy that coasts on charm and sincerity
Don't Say Good Luck, a Netflix dramedy produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison but starring his daughter Sunny Sandler, follows theatre-obsessed teenager Sophie as she lands the lead role in her school's production of Waitress just as her mother Elizabeth's cancer relapses. The review argues the film exceeds expectations for a Sandler-produced Netflix release, treating potentially sentimental material with genuine warmth and polish rather than indulgence, though it still leans on familiar coming-of-age and terminal-illness dramedy tropes.
The cast includes Melanie Lynskey as Elizabeth, Max Greenfield as father Ted, and grandparents played by Bebe Neuwirth and Steve Buscemi, with Lynskey singled out for a nuanced performance and Greenfield praised for a low-key, supportive presence in a female-centred story. The reviewer notes the film falters when hitting predictable plot beats (friendship fallouts, a co-star romance, stage fright) but is elevated by strong supporting turns from Stephanie Beatriz and Jon Lovitz, and by the clever choice of Waitress as the school show, which thematically mirrors Elizabeth's own experience. Overall it is described as visually dynamic, well-paced and more cinematic than typical Sandler Netflix fare.
- Netflix dramedy stars Sunny Sandler as a teen coping with her mother's cancer
- Review praises polish and sincerity despite familiar genre tropes
- Melanie Lynskey and Max Greenfield's performances are highlighted as standouts
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Don't Say Good Luck is a Netflix film released in 2026, made by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison but starring his daughter, Sunny Sandler, in the lead role. It's a mix of comedy and drama (a "dramedy") about a teenage girl named Sophie who gets the starring role in her school musical at the same time her mother's cancer returns.
The film sits in a well-established genre of stories that combine coming-of-age themes with a parent's serious illness, and it features an ensemble cast including Melanie Lynskey, Max Greenfield, Bebe Neuwirth and Steve Buscemi. It matters partly because of who is behind it: Adam Sandler's Happy Madison banner is best known for broad comedies, so a more sentimental, character-driven family drama represents a departure, and having his own daughter in the lead adds a personal dimension for audiences and critics alike.
The story is also notable within the wider conversation about what Netflix produces and how those films are received critically, since Sandler's past Netflix output has often been judged unevenly by reviewers.