I liked the main character at the beginning, before her 'epiphany' to conform to the putrid world of dimwits all around her. Every supporting character is a grotesque idealogue, one detestable stereotype after another, constantly. I know it's intentional, but there is nobody to root for in the whole movie. If I was the main character in this world, I'd become serial killer in about 5 seconds. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen and instead the movie tells a boring story about a lie that gets out of control.
The soundtrack is embarrasing. Cinematography is by-the-book. Direction is sub-TV. The only saving grace is the acting chops of Deutch, who does the best she can with the braindead slop that serves as a script.
Any claim that this is parody or satire falls flat. There's no commentary here, it's nothing more than a loose collection of the writer/director's opinions disguised as endless virtue-signalling.
Not Okay
2022
Comedy / Drama
Not Okay
2022
Comedy / Drama
Plot summary
Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch),an aimless aspiring writer with no friends, no romantic prospects and - worst of all - no followers, fakes an Instagram-friendly trip to Paris in the hopes of boosting her social media clout. When a terrifying incident strikes the City of Lights, Danni unwittingly falls into a lie bigger than she ever imagined. She "returns" a hero, even striking up an unlikely friendship with Rowan (Mia Isaac),a real trauma survivor dedicated to societal change, and scooping up the man of her dreams Colin (Dylan O'Brien). As an influencer and advocate, Danni finally has the life and audience she always wanted. But it's only a matter of time before the façade cracks, and she learns the hard way that the Internet loves a takedown.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 2160p.WEBMovie Reviews
If only this was a horror movie.
Pretty superficial but good message.
This entire movie is a cringe fest but in a good way. However, I couldn't help but wonder that this idea could have been fleshed out more or executed better.
I really love stories about what it means to be a good person, and the mistakes that people make and how easy you can hurt someone profoundly and repeatedly if you're a bad person like Danni is in this film. And especially if it involves social media.
Danni is a stereotypical highly privileged white girl who will do anything for the attention of flashy, internet famous superficial douches, failing to impress her boss and has no friends, because she is incredibly out of touch, needy and quirky in a really irritating way.
And she gets far worse when a lie that she tells online spins accidentally out of control.
I will say that Danni shouldn't really take all the blame for what she does. The culture around internet famous people surrounding tragic events or bullying incredibly misplaced and toxic, and talk show hosts and social media sites treating them like celebs 100% adds fuel to the fire of people's ever growing egos, or pushes people to act out in heinous ways. Much like in the film, Nightcrawler, Jake Gyllenhaal's character becomes a full on monster because of the competitive nature of the job - which will give him fame and satisfaction.
This could have been much better, but it honestly isn't anything special. Much like many personas of annoying privileged people online, it's only surface level stuff.
Meaningless exercise in cruelty and nihilism
Not Okay was made by a millennial who is jaded by vain instagram clout chasing culture and wanted to "punch up". The film has nothing to say, only a goal to inflict suffering for schadenfreude.
The protagonist, Danni, is not a character but rather a collection of stereotypes associated with young middle class white women; self-centered, Harry Potter fan, gaudy jewelry, ignorant to gentrification, blames her problems on mental illness (yikes Quinn),rude to homeless people, dyed hair, and relies on wealthy family for financial support. The only she learns by the end is that she's a really bad person. All it takes is nearly two hours of her lying and treating others like tools to gain followers. Needless to say, it takes way too long to go absolutely nowhere.
Shepherd condemns the clout chasing culture that Danni's employer, Depravity, the buzzfeed-esque blog, propells. But she eventually condones internet harassment brought upon Danni once her "true colors" are revealed by a morally superior coworker, Harper; a hard working and honest employee who never takes advantage of Danni's clout.
Dylan O'brien's character is essentially a caricature of toxic masculinity tropes and exists to show how male influencers are equally as narcissistic as women, bad at sex, and get too many tattoos.
The winks towards LGBTQ+ viewers come off as cringeworthy pandering rather than sincere understanding, "I hate straight people" says Harper as Danni leaves the room after she tried inviting herself to "gay bowling". I feel very pandered to thank you Quinn.
There are a few nightmare sequences and a little phantasmagoria that goes nowhere. It's established Danni has a mental illness, but rather than exploring it, Shepherd uses it for cheap shock factor. In Danni's public apology she shifts blame onto others and her mental illness, even if there's some truth in there, the implication is pretty yikes. Not Okay is a meaningless exercise in cruelty and nihilism disguised as a satirical cautionary tale.