not okay is... okay? 📱🐹💄 (not okay 2022 movie review)

written and directed by quinn shepherd, not okay follows the unlikeable danni sanders (played by zoey deutch) as she makes a series of increasingly bad decisions that lead to her eventual downfall. a satirical dramedy that attempts to comment on internet culture, white privilege, and the lingering effects of trauma, the film is distinctly of its time, having language, themes, and even clothing that are firmly rooted in the 2020s. what did you think of not okay?

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nicole w.b

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[Nyzahnewton]

It was refreshing to see an unlikable female character who remained unlikable throughout the film. Normally, the writers would try to persuade us to forgive them for what they did, despite the fact that they did nothing to redeem themselves until the very end of the movie

[tiffanywardrop]

i actually really liked this movie. i saw a lot of people saying it was cringey, and while i agree (especially with the scenes between danni and colin), it was clear to me that the film was a satire. that made it even better because that cringe isn’t meant to be taken as something the writers wrote seriously, they WANTED us to be cringed out.

[andyexe]

What is also interesting is the fact that most Gen Z are bashing the movie before watching it because the costumes are “2020” and “out of fashion”. Confirming the fact that micro trends lasting shorter and shorter

[siobhanflanagan]

I really like that Danny isn’t sure she actually learned anything because it’s so realistic, I mean how many influencers have hurt people and their fans apologize go quiet then bounce back only to repeat the cycle

[bryanpauldavid]

When she did this “👉🏽👈🏽” confirms to me she’s gonna be unlikeable

[wanderlustxx]

I thought the age gap in the friendship between Danni and Rowen was also very telling. Rowen, a high school teen although very smart was still used by Danni a mid 20s adult. An activist in Danni’s age group probably would have saw right through her. She also had no friends so it makes sense (in a weird way) her only friend was a kid in high school. I’m not sure if it was intentional but I thought they did a great job at depicting the dangers (for lack of a better word) of friendships/relationships with people outside of your age group and how the older person is usually seeking the attention of the younger person for their own personal satisfaction/gain. They sweetened it up with the sister bit but Danni full on used the girl for fame.

[szimmerman]

This maybe an unpopular opinion, but I thought Danni walking out at the end of Rowan's performance showed some growth on Danni's part. She had a whole apology speech rehearsed (very much still making the situation about herself) but stopped herself when she realized Rowan was not ready to hear her apology. If she hadn't learned anything, she would've gone up to Rowan and continued the speech, ignoring the boundary Rowan so clearly stated during her poem.

[josieedgar]

I’ve seen so many people online complain that the movie is “cringey” which is hilarious because that’s literally the entire point 😭 she’s not supposed to be likable, she’s so incredibly online and tone deaf

[iusedtowrite]

It's insane how fast trend cycles move cause even the costumes are supposed to be based on 2020s. They feel kinda dated. Like every fashion cycle just moves on so fast now

[spiceupyourafterlife]

I feel like “Colin, you’re from Maine” could be the next “Gretchen, stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen."

[rebeckyever]

There is something to be said about the fact that people on Twitter and Tumblr are more focused on Dylan O' Brien role than the theme of the movie itself.

[ayomideasani]

I feel like Not Okay did pretty well in representing internet culture in a way that was accurate and not out of touch in how the internet is used to day. It also highlighted the theme of Clout Chasers and the extent to which Clout chasing is detrimental to the person who is looking for Clout as currency. Also I feel like the film speaks to the need for community again which Dani lacks in a highly individualised society. Love this Video and the Critque, Modern Gurlz is one of my favourite channels.

[sharon-bppk]

I love how messy the character is. It’s refreshing to have a morally ambiguous woman at last!

[justperpetuallybothered]

Colin's character reminds me of countless privileged white guys I know from school. The way they desperately attempt to emulate African American musicians for social credibility is laughable. I avoid them like the plague.

[nxzoqzt]

I’m really surprised that I haven’t seen a commentary on this movie discuss Harper as a character. Harper was both a foil to Danni while also being the same as her. Where Danni was unaware of her surroundings, Harper was hyper aware. Yet, Harper comes from the same position of Danni as a white person with both racial and economic privileges. Even so, Harper acts like she is completely separate from Danni. Harper very much reminds me of woke™️ white people of social media who think because they’re educated it means they’re completely unattached from other white people; they’re “one of the good ones”. Harper even kinda lets it slip that she’s no better than Danni too, saying she thought about how successful exposing Danni would be. Like Danni, the first thing that came to mind in this situation is how she could benefit from it. No matter how much she tries the paint herself as a person that’s better than Danni, the only reason she decides to investigate Danni’s story is because she’s jealous of the success.

[ffxfan]

I think one of the few things I would change about the movie is how the "lie" came to surface. It irked me that it was only ONE person who didn't believe her and put two and two together (and only discovered it because she left her personal laptop open which...c'mon. No one in their right mind would do that). I think it would have been better to have a small group of "trolls" doubting her online then having it build up and maybe even her trying to address all of them until her story starts to have bigger holes in it and her co-workers and Rowan start to question her on these things that don't make sense until the whole story falls apart. I feel that would be more "realistic" and we'd get to see how far she is willing to press the lie to get what she wants.

[misakit]

I haven't seen the film but its kinda funny hearing that the outfits the protagonist wore are dated. I'm not from America or Europe and here the majority of the population still where skinny jeans. So I'm always amused when I hear people talking about how fast trends are moving when the majority of the population has the same style here lol

Video recommendation: Fast fashion an issue of the developed world

[sickdoctor]

danni’s outfits except for her at-home, pajama-loungewear stuff all seemed very much like costumes. they all looked awkward and forced. like she looks like shes mimicking trends she doesnt care about because she wants people to think shes trendy and cool. very much the energy of someone who’s terrified of being called cheugy

[jenniferchck]

I think Rowan served as a grounding element in what could have been an overly cheesy or cringey movie. She reminded the audience of the gravity of the situation and that this story is set in the real world. Don't Look Up would have benefitted from a character like that to balance out the satire, because that movie came off as condescending rather than critical.

[ninjacatpotato]

I think it's a great point that she doesn't learn from the backlash bc ultimately I don't think doxxing and that sort of behavior is actually something that teaches people at all. I feel like online backlash is often just an outlet for people's aggression in a "justified" way, the goal isn't actually to teach someone a lesson