by Kristin Ciliberto, Contributing Writer
Written and directed by Quinn Shephard, Not Okay is a satire of today’s modern world. Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch) is fame-obsessed, ambitious, and struggling to become a writer. She has no friends, does not have a romantic relationship, and has no followers on social media. To be noticed by her crush Colin (Dylan O’Brien), she fakes an Instagram trip to Paris to impress not him, but her social media following. After Danni posts a fake picture of herself, a series of horrifying terrorist attacks strike the city. She creates a lie claiming to be a survivor of the attack. Everyone around her — including her family — believes her lies, and she becomes an outspoken activist. She eventually joins a support group and notices Rowan (Mia Isaac), a school shooting survivor who is seeking to make a change in gun violence, and Danni decides to use Rowan for her own personal gain. Once Danni gets everything she wants, her lies start to creep up on her, and she learns that her online notoriety comes with a harsh price.
Deutch opens the film with her character asking the audience, “Have you ever wanted to be noticed so badly, you didn’t even care what it was for?” Shephard wants to make audiences feel uncomfortable — Deutch’s characters crosses the line with her actions, and it’s impossible to look away from the train wreck that unfolds. However, some audiences may not find it funny given the themes it expresses, or since the film’s comedy is slightly cringey.
One thing I was not expecting to see was a content warning saying the film was going to illustrate an unlikable female protagonist. I did not expect to see someone so awful be the protagonist. There is no chance audiences should be rooting for a character like Danni. Deutch was an executive producer, and with her performance, she made this a great character study. Audiences want to root for the character, and in this case, they shouldn’t. I was heavily invested in seeing the mess that this character made, and I was wondering how she would learn from it. There is no way to sympathize with her, as this film exposes her and the fake world of influencers. There is no redemption because her character is a sociopath as her character is one who lacks empathy.
This is the second film Deutch and O’Brien have worked on together. They previously worked on Graham Moore’s The Outfit.O’Brien continues to excel in every film he’s in. He is so good at playing a character who is a clout-chasing jerk, and he perfectly captures what most people think of as an influencer. His character is constantly seeking approval from his followers and he’s fully committed with his performance. If you thought he was scummy in Taylor Swift’s All Too Well: The Short Film, he’s just as much of a jerk in Not Okay. Isaac is phenomenal as her heartbreaking character who ultimately connects with Danni. Isaac brings a lot of emotion to her performance — Shephard brings Rowan and Danni’s worlds together since Rowan believes Danni experienced similar trauma. The scenes they share together are incredible, and their bond is remarkable. The final moments of the film are sure to leave audiences shook as Isaac delivers an immensely emotional monologue. It drives home the film’s strong message, and her performance overall is worthy of a watch.
As for Shephard, her career has been taken to new heights. Her previous work in 2018’s Blame was just the beginning, and she raises the bar with this film, confidently knowing the message she wants to express. She breaks the film into chapters, which helps the pacing, but the runtime should have been shorter. The film does not have enough substance to justify making it an hour and 45 minutes.
Not Okay is a true critique of Generation Z, despite its minor issues. Shephard film’s is entertaining and compelling with its sharp commentary, along with the help of the bold performances. This film is more than okay; it’s definitely pretty good.
Score: 8/10