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Luck
Movie

Luck

2022 • Unknown

Woke Score
3
out of 10

Plot

Suddenly finding herself in the never-before-seen Land of Luck, the unluckiest person in the world must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around.

Overall Series Review

The film centers on Sam Greenfield, an 18-year-old who has 'aged out' of the foster care system and is afflicted by perpetual bad luck. Her main goal is not self-enrichment but to secure a lucky penny for her younger friend, Hazel, who is still hoping to be adopted. This quest leads Sam into the secret Land of Luck, a world run by a vast magical bureaucracy of creatures like leprechauns, a talking Scottish cat named Bob, a dragon, and a unicorn. The core narrative explores the balance of good and bad luck, arguing that both are necessary for a life fully lived. The world of luck is highly organized, with female characters holding prominent positions of power, such as a Dragon who leads the Good Luck organization and a leprechaun Captain who is in charge of security. The conflict is not driven by an antagonist but by Sam's accidental disruption of the system, which threatens to unbalance the entire world's luck distribution. The story ultimately delivers a positive message about the importance of family, friendship, and maintaining a positive attitude in the face of misfortune.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics3/10

The lead character, Sam, is an orphaned woman voiced by a Filipina-American actress, but her character arc is defined entirely by her bad luck and her selfless desire to help a younger friend get adopted. The plot does not rely on race or immutable characteristics to frame the main conflict. A mythical leprechaun character, who is not a human, is voiced by a Black actress, which represents non-traditional, color-blind casting for a fantastical creature.

Oikophobia2/10

The film does not contain hostility toward Western culture or ancestors. The human world is a generic, quaint setting, and the only 'system' criticized is the bureaucratic machinery of the fictional Land of Luck and the practical hardship of aging out of a generic foster care system. The underlying theme values perseverance and finding a silver lining in life's challenges.

Feminism5/10

Sam, the female protagonist, is highly self-reliant, determined, and selfless, driving the entire plot. The most powerful authority figures in the Land of Luck—The Dragon (who leads the organization) and The Captain (the head of security)—are both female, fitting the 'Girl Boss' model of female competence and leadership. However, the protagonist's primary motivation is a pro-family one: to ensure a younger girl finds a forever family through adoption.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative is entirely focused on a young girl's desire to find a traditional adoptive family and the older girl's selfless efforts to help her achieve that goal. There is no presence of alternative sexual identities, queer theory, or gender ideology being lectured or centered in the plot, and the structure of the desirable 'forever family' is normative.

Anti-Theism4/10

The movie does not express hostility toward traditional religion, but it replaces the concept of a transcendent moral order or God with a secular-spiritual concept of 'luck' as an elemental, bureaucratic force governed by magical creatures. The conflict resolves with a message of secular-spiritual morality, where a balanced mix of good and bad 'luck' is necessary for human development and perspective.