Good Fortune (2025). The film’s premise is similar to
Trading Places—the rich and the poor switch lives, with a washed-up angel named Gabriel making it happen. It’s a low-key movie, nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, but overall I liked it. I even giggled a few times.
At the same time, it was uneasy to watch the poor protagonist’s everyday struggles—living in a car, juggling several jobs, and still not managing to make ends meet. It felt real. We all know how dangerous losing a job can be. I got the impression that in the U.S., it’s even harder.
In my country, if you lose your job, you get about 60–75% of your previous salary for around a year, so there’s at least some kind of safety net. I’m not sure if a similar system exists in the U.S.—if not, that’s quite scary.
I also recently saw that Belgium is reviewing its unemployment support system. Apparently, people there could receive relatively high payments for a very long time, but that period is now being shortened. On one hand, such long-term support is great for citizens. On the other, it can weaken people’s motivation to find work and contribute to society—unless, of course, they’re dealing with a serious illness.
