Introduction
Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison has quietly shifted its Netflix output toward his daughters in recent years, and it’s paying off in a way nobody quite expected. Don’t Say Good Luck, starring 17-year-old Sunny Sandler, isn’t a comedy despite the Happy Madison name attached — it’s a tender, genuinely moving coming-of-age drama that’s broken a Rotten Tomatoes record for any Adam Sandler-produced film and become Netflix’s #1 movie in the process.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Director | Julia Hart |
| Writers | Laura Hankin, Julia Hart, Jordan Horowitz |
| Starring | Sunny Sandler, Melanie Lynskey, Max Greenfield, Steve Buscemi, Bebe Neuwirth |
| Producers | Adam Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Jordan Horowitz |
| Runtime | 1h 50m (listed as 95–110 min across sources) |
| Genre | Coming-of-Age Drama / Musical / Comedy |
| Rating | PG-13 |
| Release Date | August 14, 2026 |
| Platform | Netflix |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 97% Critics / 85% Audience |
| Filming Location | New Jersey (Jersey City, Cranford, Paramus) |
Overview
Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler) is a theater kid gearing up for what should be the biggest moment of her high school career: landing the lead role in her school’s production of Waitress. But just as she steps into the spotlight, she learns her mother Elizabeth’s (Melanie Lynskey) cancer — previously thought to be in remission — has returned. The film follows Sophie navigating rehearsals, a crush on her castmate Jack (Jack Champion), and the ordinary chaos of being a teenager, all while her family quietly comes apart at the seams at home.
Characters
Sophie Birenbaum (Sunny Sandler) — A theater kid whose passion for performing becomes both an escape from and a way of processing her mother’s illness. Director Julia Hart has said Sandler was “the first and only person we thought of” for the role.
Elizabeth Birenbaum (Melanie Lynskey) — Sophie’s mother, whose cancer recurrence anchors the film’s emotional stakes. Critics have praised Lynskey for striking a believable balance between fighter and someone exhausted by the fight.
Ted (Max Greenfield) — Sophie’s father, trying to hold the family together as Elizabeth’s illness progresses.
Carolyn Morales (Scarlett Estevez) — Sophie’s best friend and fellow cast member in the school musical.
Jack (Jack Champion) — The lead of the school production and Sophie’s crush, adding a lighter romantic thread alongside the heavier family drama.
Supporting cast — Steve Buscemi, Bebe Neuwirth, Jon Lovitz, and Stephanie Beatriz round out the ensemble.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Sunny Sandler delivers a genuine breakout performance, praised across nearly every review as charismatic, funny, and emotionally convincing — and she can sing.
- Melanie Lynskey is described as “reliably affecting” in a role that balances resilience and exhaustion without leaning into melodrama.
- The film earns its emotional beats rather than manipulating them, focusing on life’s messiness instead of “looming death,” which one review noted lets it avoid clichés other cancer dramas take for granted.
- A genuinely broad critical consensus — 97% on Rotten Tomatoes is an unusually strong score for a Netflix original, let alone one from Happy Madison Productions.
- The musical-theater backdrop gives the story a satisfying structure and a reason for its emotional highs to feel earned rather than forced.
Cons
- A couple of reviews noted the film can feel formulaic in its setup, with one 2/5 review criticizing its heavier dramatic moments as falling short of its lighter, more successful scenes.
- At under two hours, some viewers felt it doesn’t have quite enough room to fully explore every emotional thread it introduces.
- The “theater kids putting on a show” framework is a familiar structure, so it may feel a little predictable if you’ve seen similar coming-of-age films before.
- Its sentimentality, while mostly landing well, won’t work for viewers who prefer a more restrained or subtle emotional approach.
Similar Movies
- Ghostlight (2024) — frequently cited as this film’s closest spiritual sibling, exploring similar themes of grief processed through community theater.
- The Fault in Our Stars (2014) — for another emotionally driven teen drama dealing with illness and mortality.
- You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023) — Sunny Sandler’s earlier, lighter Netflix collaboration with her family.
- Roommates (2026) — Sadie Sandler’s own recent Netflix film, part of the same broader shift toward the Sandler daughters’ leading roles.
- Waitress (2007 film / stage musical) — the actual musical Sophie stars in within the film, worth revisiting for its own themes of resilience and hope.
Final Verdict
Don’t Say Good Luck is a rare thing: a Happy Madison-produced Netflix film that critics are genuinely championing rather than tolerating. Anchored by a breakout performance from Sunny Sandler and a quietly devastating turn from Melanie Lynskey, it earns its tears through sincerity rather than manipulation, even if its structure occasionally leans on familiar coming-of-age beats. If you’re in the mood for a genuine “sleeper-weeper,” as one critic called it, this delivers.
Rating: 8.5/10 — A sincere, well-acted coming-of-age drama that punches above its Netflix-original weight class.
FAQs
When did Don’t Say Good Luck release? It premiered on Netflix on August 14, 2026.
Who directed the film? Julia Hart (Fast Color, Stargirl) directed and co-wrote the screenplay.
Does Adam Sandler appear in the movie? No. Despite producing through Happy Madison Productions, Adam Sandler does not appear in the film, not even in a cameo.
Is this a comedy or a drama? It’s primarily a coming-of-age drama with musical and comedic elements — don’t go in expecting a typical Happy Madison comedy.
What is the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score? 97% from critics and 85% from audiences, making it one of the best-reviewed films associated with Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions to date.
Is Don’t Say Good Luck based on a true story? It’s based on a semi-autobiographical story concept by co-writer Laura Hankin, though it’s not a direct true story.
What musical does Sophie perform in during the film? She stars in her high school’s production of Waitress.
How long is the movie? Reported runtimes vary slightly by source, ranging from about 95 to 110 minutes, generally cited around 1 hour 50 minutes.
Where was it filmed? Principal photography took place in New Jersey, including Jersey City, Cranford, and Paramus.