Title: Lucky Star
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Gillian McKercher
Starring: Terry Chen, Olivia Cheng, Conni Miu
Runtime: 1 hr 25 mins

What It Is: Lucky (Chen) is a reformed gambler who now owns a cell phone repair shop. As he slowly begins to slip back into his old addiction, it’s out of necessity. The tax man—unrelenting as ever—has come calling, and Lucky has made a costly mistake by falling for a scam. This scam becomes the final blow, pushing him back to the poker table in a desperate attempt to piece things back together for himself and his family.

What We Think: This is a very competently made film that does nothing new or exciting with its premise. A decent little Canadian indie. Gillian McKercher does an amazing job directing—it’s her timing with the shots, alongside editor Xi Feng, that really helps move along a picture that’s only 85 minutes to begin with. I love a film you can get into and get out of quickly. I just wish the destination was as strong as I’d hoped. Even the journey was only mildly enjoyable. Nonetheless, this is a solid film—the kind that, while not especially memorable, stands on its own thanks to a really good lead performance from Chen.

Our Grade: C+, This film doesn’t exactly move the needle, but it’s worth checking out if it’s available to stream. It tells an interesting and grounded story about the lengths a man will go to in order to provide for his family. There’s also a strong subplot about what his loved ones are willing to do to make ends meet, and the film does a solid job of exploring how far people will bend their ethics under pressure. At its core, it taps into something deeply human—our instincts to protect, to provide, and to survive. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s thoughtful and quietly compelling.