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Writer-director-producer Daniel Brown (Color TV, No Vacancy) makes his feature film debut with Your Lucky Day, an indie action-thriller based on his popular short of the same name released in 2010. The film marks one of the last performances of late actor Angus Cloud, who tragically died in July of this year. 

From the beginning, we’re with Sterling (Angus Cloud), a young man considered a low-life doing less than legal things to make a living. It’s Christmas Eve in Miami and he’s out trying to make a buck. But after a bad night, he ends up heading to Sip N Go convenience store. Sterling arrives at the same time as an older man Mr. Laird (Spencer Garrett), a wealthy white man who thinks his off-color jokes are hilarious and anyone who doesn’t laugh needs to lighten up. 

After seeing Laird’s arrogance and smugness interacting with store owner Amir (Mousa Hussien Kraish), we’re not exactly happy for him when he realizes he has the winning 156 million-dollar lottery ticket. In his excitement and disbelief, Laird very stupidly announces his massive winnings to everyone in the store, and to the surprise of no one, finds himself at gunpoint by Sterling. Cody (Sterling Beaumon), a beat cop no one realized was in the bathroom, tries to be a hero but makes a fatal mistake and takes a bullet in the process. 

Sterling’s impulsive decision to steal the man’s lottery ticket has altered everyone’s life, including Abraham (Elliot Knight) and Ana-Marlene (Jessica Garza), a young couple with a baby on the way. Amidst the chaos, Amir informs Sterling that he can’t just collect the millions of dollars, no questions asked, especially now that two people have been shot. This is where a lot of the film’s dark humor comes into play, because he obviously didn’t spend more than a few seconds thinking about this robbery, how he was going to get out of it and how he would become $156 million richer without any consequences. 

The film sticks closely to the original short but naturally makes some changes to the narrative and characters. We learn more about the lives and backstories of Sterling, Amir, and the couple, giving context behind their decision making when they’re faced with the choice to be good people or rich people, hostages or accomplices. 

Everyone delivers stellar performances. Some audiences will inevitably draw comparisons between Sterling and Euphoria’s Fezco but Cloud’s nuanced performance helps differentiate the two socioeconomically similar characters. While both have difficult lives, they don’t make the same choices, and it’s fair to say that Sterling lacks Fezco’s morality. However, he isn’t completely unlikable. He’s pretty chatty with his newly acquired hostages. When he’s not waving a gun in their faces, he’s kind of charismatic, which makes his previous behavior all the more baffling (and pretty comical). 

Elliot Knight and Jessica Garza have good chemistry as Abraham and Ana-Marlene, making it easy to like them immediately. The characters are in an impossible situation that they know won’t have a happy ending, and they have very little time to decide on their next move. It’s hard to really get into Garza’s incredible acting without spoilers, but just know that her character will surprise you.  

Your Lucky Day is thrilling, entertaining, and at times, darkly funny, but it also shows what it looks like when marginalized people desperately try to have the American Dream. That desperation changes them into people who value money more than someone else’s life. Mousa Hussien Kraish’s Amir has a store to run and a family to take care of, so when he has the chance to get a cut of $156 million, he doesn’t instantly refuse. There’s also something poignant about how quickly life can change (or end). One minute you’re picking out ice cream, the next you’re a hostage or suddenly a millionaire. 

With Daniel Brown’s work in advertising and music videos, both the short and the feature film have an artsy, avante-garde quality. It’s not a trippy Lynchian experience like Color TV, No Vacancy, but there’s still a slightly heightened and gritty realism a la The Florida Project. Winning the lottery, especially in a small corner store, is something that seems so out of reach. Brown and cinematographer Justin Henning (Braking for Whales) give the film a look that nicely conveys the surreality of the moment when it happens.

The editing style of the short is quick and effective, a bit disorienting like a horror film with seemingly random vintage-looking images popping up. The feature is smoother, and the lighting inside the store isn’t as fluorescent but maintains the same unique energy. Both use bizarrely upbeat music during some of the most violent scenes, a jarring juxtaposition that might not appeal to everyone but adds to the situation’s wildness.

Your Lucky Day is an intense crime thriller about morality and greed that immediately grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until the credits roll. In expanding his 16-minute short into an 89-minute feature, Daniel Brown created morally complex characters that find commonality in the struggle and lie of the elusive American Dream. You may think you know what happens next but the film surprises you with where it goes. 

Your Lucky Day premiered September 23, 2023, at Fantastic Fest. The film hits theaters November 10 and digital November 14.