Not sure about why there's so much hate here. I get why they make a movie like this. It teaches that likes are often lies or bought. Social media is fake. And also that real relationships are deeper when you make real bonds, and not thru social media.
177 Reviews
Another movie people don't understand
kastenmeier-andreas13 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I read a few reviews here and it's kinda hilarious how people are upset that the main character doesn't seem to get a redemption arc or grows in any way. I strongly disagree by the way. Zoey Deutch's character is incredibly selfish, so selfish that she is not able to feel empathy for others or even worse that she is not able to have the tought that other people might be affected by here actions in a bad way.
Now for the ending: After everything is revealed and everyone hates her, she again starts to just think about herself. I am so bad. I learned this and that. I need therapy. And then ultimately: i need to fix rverything gor me and get my redemption. Thats why she writes that sorry speech and heads to the public stage. But there is her true redemption while listening to rowans side and opinions. This is the first time that she feels real empathy and accepts the fact that rowan ia better off without her. She finally acted unselfishly.
Now for the ending: After everything is revealed and everyone hates her, she again starts to just think about herself. I am so bad. I learned this and that. I need therapy. And then ultimately: i need to fix rverything gor me and get my redemption. Thats why she writes that sorry speech and heads to the public stage. But there is her true redemption while listening to rowans side and opinions. This is the first time that she feels real empathy and accepts the fact that rowan ia better off without her. She finally acted unselfishly.
Everybody needs to see this
SoumikBanerjee199630 August 2022
'Not Okay' is a satirical take on influencer culture, and a contemplative, dark comedy about social media personalities, for whom, life revolves around likes, comments, and media attention. For whom, their entire existence relies upon the number of followers they have on their Instagram on TikTok. Being a motivator, and an inspiration for millions of people is not wrong but the harsh fact is, not everybody is truthful, and not everyone represents their 'Real' selves!
'Not Okay' not only sheds some light on those 'pretentious' sections of the crowd, but it also makes us aware of all the lies deceptions, and fabrications perpetrated by such persons. You wouldn't believe, what some people could do to earn some additional 'Likes' on their posts, to gain some 'sympathy' from the audience. They could go to unimaginable lengths to achieve their ambitions, to fulfill their appetite to get 'Famous', to be an Internet Phenomenon!
But the tragedy is, truth never stays hidden, it will eventually come out one day and you have to face severe consequences for your previous actions. Internet may bring people together, may tie us all down by a singular thread but It can also be the 'Unkindest'. The same internet that had brought you limitless stardom could end the very same in seconds. All the things that floated you above, may as well bring you down to the ground at any given moment. And that's the grim reality we all have to accept.
And this movie attempts to showcase just that! With a fairly engaging Screenplay & remarkable performances (by both Zoey Deutch and Mia Isaac) this story acts as a lesson for both these influencers and for the ordinary 'netizens' who get infatuated with all the glitz & glamour of social media but tend to neglect the darker aspects!
I'm in no way suggesting this was a flawless execution, just as always, there are a couple of unquestionable weaknesses but I think this is a movie that everyone needs to watch at least once in their life. Especially for 'Millennials'; I hope they would get to learn a lesson or two.
P. S. Zoey Deutch is criminally underrated, she may not always get her due recognition but man! I have to say, she's one helluva performer!
'Not Okay' not only sheds some light on those 'pretentious' sections of the crowd, but it also makes us aware of all the lies deceptions, and fabrications perpetrated by such persons. You wouldn't believe, what some people could do to earn some additional 'Likes' on their posts, to gain some 'sympathy' from the audience. They could go to unimaginable lengths to achieve their ambitions, to fulfill their appetite to get 'Famous', to be an Internet Phenomenon!
But the tragedy is, truth never stays hidden, it will eventually come out one day and you have to face severe consequences for your previous actions. Internet may bring people together, may tie us all down by a singular thread but It can also be the 'Unkindest'. The same internet that had brought you limitless stardom could end the very same in seconds. All the things that floated you above, may as well bring you down to the ground at any given moment. And that's the grim reality we all have to accept.
And this movie attempts to showcase just that! With a fairly engaging Screenplay & remarkable performances (by both Zoey Deutch and Mia Isaac) this story acts as a lesson for both these influencers and for the ordinary 'netizens' who get infatuated with all the glitz & glamour of social media but tend to neglect the darker aspects!
I'm in no way suggesting this was a flawless execution, just as always, there are a couple of unquestionable weaknesses but I think this is a movie that everyone needs to watch at least once in their life. Especially for 'Millennials'; I hope they would get to learn a lesson or two.
P. S. Zoey Deutch is criminally underrated, she may not always get her due recognition but man! I have to say, she's one helluva performer!
Interesting reviews
thejdrage17 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I read a lot of the reviews for this movie. So many of them slammed the writing of this movie, and the writing they used was atrocious! The irony!!
The story was "interesting", but the ending was what it was all about. It's what Rowan discovered about herself. Rowan finding her voice is what counts.
Danni didn't matter. She never mattered in the scheme of things because she was never anything real or valid.
Rowan mattered.
The story was "interesting", but the ending was what it was all about. It's what Rowan discovered about herself. Rowan finding her voice is what counts.
Danni didn't matter. She never mattered in the scheme of things because she was never anything real or valid.
Rowan mattered.
It tells a story more about ourselves than the main character.
daerday18 September 2022
This movie is based off a young women who is lonely and depressed. And to gain the attention she faked being in a horrible terrorist attack for social media followers.
My title says it all. We are the people outside the main character's life. And watching this movie and reading other reviews it seems I hit it spot on where everyone played into this "hatred". But how far is too far for someone who does something like this? Do we really have a blood lust. My worry through out the movie was the main character hurting herself. And it stuck all the way to the end. To me the ending left a cliff hanger where I still worried that Danni would not hurt herself.
Because it is too easy to cast stones, and jump on a hate wagon. But mostly everyone's review I have seen shows we as a whole refuse to acknowledge the real problem with Danni, which is she suffers from depression and loneliness and when she got a taste through her lie, it came back and hit her even harder.
I did not grow to hate this woman like the movie said I would do. I started feeling really bad for her, I felt once the truth came out everyone was too extreme with what they feel their justice is. And this movie speaks a lot of truth about how not just Danni did a horrible thing, we feed off it and want to give in to the evil inside of us and call it justice.
I feel the story could have been a little better written. I did end up doom scrolling on my phone through boring parts that did not give details or show character development. But I do feel this could have been written better not to make you hate someone for doing a horrible thing, but learn about yourself and society about how we react to horrible things others do. And maybe learn to grow empathy towards everyone not just the ones we feel deserve it.
My title says it all. We are the people outside the main character's life. And watching this movie and reading other reviews it seems I hit it spot on where everyone played into this "hatred". But how far is too far for someone who does something like this? Do we really have a blood lust. My worry through out the movie was the main character hurting herself. And it stuck all the way to the end. To me the ending left a cliff hanger where I still worried that Danni would not hurt herself.
Because it is too easy to cast stones, and jump on a hate wagon. But mostly everyone's review I have seen shows we as a whole refuse to acknowledge the real problem with Danni, which is she suffers from depression and loneliness and when she got a taste through her lie, it came back and hit her even harder.
I did not grow to hate this woman like the movie said I would do. I started feeling really bad for her, I felt once the truth came out everyone was too extreme with what they feel their justice is. And this movie speaks a lot of truth about how not just Danni did a horrible thing, we feed off it and want to give in to the evil inside of us and call it justice.
I feel the story could have been a little better written. I did end up doom scrolling on my phone through boring parts that did not give details or show character development. But I do feel this could have been written better not to make you hate someone for doing a horrible thing, but learn about yourself and society about how we react to horrible things others do. And maybe learn to grow empathy towards everyone not just the ones we feel deserve it.
Fun and entertaining, but felt a little long.
Top_Dawg_Critic2 August 2022
It was very well directed, and the dark-comedy satirical writing hit some good notes by actress turned newb writer and director Quinn Shephard. Although the pacing was decent, the 100 min runtime could've used some tweaking to cut out at least 10 mins. Casting and performances were all great, but the standout performance goes to the lovely Zoey Deutch, who stole every scene she was in. It's a fun and funny one-time watch with some actual laugh out loud moments, and a few heart-wrenching ones, when the power of social media seriously affects peoples lives. It gets a heart and seven thumbs-up emojis from me.
A fun glimpse into the current internet culture
uberfornia29 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I couldn't wait for this movie to come out once I saw the cast and a very promising/timely plotline. As a younger viewer, a lot of references and lines genuinely made me smile - the writers and actors have done a splendid job in that regard. My fellow zillennials will probably find the movie just as entertaining, however, once you've seen the trailer, you have almost seen it all.
I wish they pursued the "cancellation" of Zoey's character Danni more, instead of keeping the focus on a newly-developed friendship that eventually falls apart. Once Danni exposes her own secret, the movie just spirals down rapidly. She acts like a self-centered sociopath throughout the majority of the movie and all of a sudden she is just ready to throw her entire life away after Harper's short confrontation. I don't think a sequel is necessary but the plot does feel incomplete and far from what a real influencer would do - wait for someone else to expose them, start their own make-up brand and keep lying in a series of YouTube apology videos until everyone forgets about it.
Regardless of the main heroine's quick downfall, the movie offers a pretty solid look at the current social media climate where the general public turns regular humans both into victims and villains - a message the writers have painted beautifully on multiple occasions. Anyone who has opened a social media app on their phone in the past decade will surely find something to appreciate or relate to.
I wish they pursued the "cancellation" of Zoey's character Danni more, instead of keeping the focus on a newly-developed friendship that eventually falls apart. Once Danni exposes her own secret, the movie just spirals down rapidly. She acts like a self-centered sociopath throughout the majority of the movie and all of a sudden she is just ready to throw her entire life away after Harper's short confrontation. I don't think a sequel is necessary but the plot does feel incomplete and far from what a real influencer would do - wait for someone else to expose them, start their own make-up brand and keep lying in a series of YouTube apology videos until everyone forgets about it.
Regardless of the main heroine's quick downfall, the movie offers a pretty solid look at the current social media climate where the general public turns regular humans both into victims and villains - a message the writers have painted beautifully on multiple occasions. Anyone who has opened a social media app on their phone in the past decade will surely find something to appreciate or relate to.
A journey into hate and hopelessness
bending_spoons200014 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
The concept of this Film had me intrigued. A hopefully poignant look at the dark side of social media. Instead it is a journey into hate and hopelessness.
So we have a young woman who is clearly depressed, lonely and lacking in just about every area of her life. She decides to try and spice things up a bit by living a fantasy online. Things get a lot out of hand when the place she is "visiting" ends up suffering from attacks and she is "supposedly" caught in the middle of it. Because this woman is clearly not in a good place she decides to keep the fantasy going and her life spins out of control with devastating results.
The sad thing is that the lie she is living actually starts to make her life better. She starts connecting with people, making friends and getting promoted. But she is still a terribly damaged person and the way she is presented makes it hard to like her. She's dumb, obnoxious and oblivious. But she does actually care for the friend she makes. But this all comes to nothing when her lies are exposed and she ends up in a worse place than where she began.
No forgiveness, no redemption, no help. This poor woman destroys her life and at the end of the film is left with less than nothing. Yes what she did was bad, yes she lied about having gone through something terrible and made friends and gains on false pretenses. But why should her life effectively be over? She didn't kill anyone.
The writer and director seems to have absolutely no empathy for her and the fact that she was clearly unwell before she entered into this fantasy life. There's no attempt to help her, redeem her or understand her. She's just there to be vilified, crucified and hated on. Death threats galore. What kind of message is that to send to the youth of today?
Apparently according to this film it's not ok to be anything other than a "real victim" and it's not ok to have a voice unless you are a victim. It's also not ok to forgive or to empathise or to have compassion for someone who makes mistakes (especially when they are choices fueled by poor mental health) unless of course the person in question is a real victim.
Why does the writer just want us to hate everyone that isn't portrayed as a poor innocent victim? Where is the positive message? Where is the hope?
All I got from this film was a bitter and unpleasant journey into nihilism, oh and that straight white women are privileged and suck. Just enough of this already. Let's bring back some hope and compassion into movies! Let's show people how to take responsibility for their actions, how to get help and how to thrive. Let's not glorify in their destruction and join the bandwagon....
So we have a young woman who is clearly depressed, lonely and lacking in just about every area of her life. She decides to try and spice things up a bit by living a fantasy online. Things get a lot out of hand when the place she is "visiting" ends up suffering from attacks and she is "supposedly" caught in the middle of it. Because this woman is clearly not in a good place she decides to keep the fantasy going and her life spins out of control with devastating results.
The sad thing is that the lie she is living actually starts to make her life better. She starts connecting with people, making friends and getting promoted. But she is still a terribly damaged person and the way she is presented makes it hard to like her. She's dumb, obnoxious and oblivious. But she does actually care for the friend she makes. But this all comes to nothing when her lies are exposed and she ends up in a worse place than where she began.
No forgiveness, no redemption, no help. This poor woman destroys her life and at the end of the film is left with less than nothing. Yes what she did was bad, yes she lied about having gone through something terrible and made friends and gains on false pretenses. But why should her life effectively be over? She didn't kill anyone.
The writer and director seems to have absolutely no empathy for her and the fact that she was clearly unwell before she entered into this fantasy life. There's no attempt to help her, redeem her or understand her. She's just there to be vilified, crucified and hated on. Death threats galore. What kind of message is that to send to the youth of today?
Apparently according to this film it's not ok to be anything other than a "real victim" and it's not ok to have a voice unless you are a victim. It's also not ok to forgive or to empathise or to have compassion for someone who makes mistakes (especially when they are choices fueled by poor mental health) unless of course the person in question is a real victim.
Why does the writer just want us to hate everyone that isn't portrayed as a poor innocent victim? Where is the positive message? Where is the hope?
All I got from this film was a bitter and unpleasant journey into nihilism, oh and that straight white women are privileged and suck. Just enough of this already. Let's bring back some hope and compassion into movies! Let's show people how to take responsibility for their actions, how to get help and how to thrive. Let's not glorify in their destruction and join the bandwagon....
Pretty superficial but good message.
Avwillfan8915 August 2022
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.
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.
Well, it's the movie version of todays youth
rjfromtoronto4 August 2022
I think they unexpectedly gave the middle finger to their own generation with this flick. It was an interesting window into teen and young adult life today just as much as Fast Times or Breakfast Club were our generations mirror on the Zeitgeist at that time.
I don't get the bad reviews
katievfoxley23 September 2022
I don't understand the bad reviews on this film. This film is representing today's society and explaining that most things on social media is fake and how far people are willing to go to get followers.
We are living in a shallow society and it is sad.
This film picks up on the desperation of this generation.
I think Zoey plays this extremely well.
Some people don't realise the down fall and the negative impact that this can have on you and this film shows how a rise and fall can affect you mentally and personally and it really is such ashame for society and this film explains that.........
We are living in a shallow society and it is sad.
This film picks up on the desperation of this generation.
I think Zoey plays this extremely well.
Some people don't realise the down fall and the negative impact that this can have on you and this film shows how a rise and fall can affect you mentally and personally and it really is such ashame for society and this film explains that.........
A good film - But the Finale moral sucked.
interastral30 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Not Okay is a satire that starts out as a comedy, but ends as a serious drama. The movie is a critique of modern celebrity culture and social media and in this respect the film succeeds. It's portrayal of the desire for popularity vis social media is accurate and insightful in my opinion.
The friendship between Danni (Deutch) and Rowan.(Issac) is believable and moving and at it's core this film does have a genuine and heartfelt message about kindness, friendship, and the damage caused by violence in the world.
Unfortunately this movie ends on a sour note for me because it basically shows the lead character being cancelled for making a silly mistake, which she ultimately owns up to, apologises for and asks for forgiveness for. But in the end even her best friend doesn't forgive her and has a closing monologue about her own hurt feelings, and how she won't forgive her friend, which I think is cruel, selfish and self-pitying.
Ergo: If someone makes a bad mistake it's understandable and acceptable to cancel them and blacklist them, and not forgive them, even if they've said sorry.
I think that's wrong.
The problem is, it seems the intended reading of the Finale is that it's okay to cancel people and not forgive people for making mistakes, which I think is lame, and probably one of the worst aspects of our modern culture. Or perhaps the film was trying to show that not forgiving people is bad, but it doesn't do a great job of communicating that. I don't think that was the intended reading though, and if it was, it would be over most people's head in my opinion. So basically the moral is - not forgiving a person for a genuine mistake is right.
Still it's a well made and moving film. I'd still recommend it, simply for how well it highlights these social issues.
The friendship between Danni (Deutch) and Rowan.(Issac) is believable and moving and at it's core this film does have a genuine and heartfelt message about kindness, friendship, and the damage caused by violence in the world.
Unfortunately this movie ends on a sour note for me because it basically shows the lead character being cancelled for making a silly mistake, which she ultimately owns up to, apologises for and asks for forgiveness for. But in the end even her best friend doesn't forgive her and has a closing monologue about her own hurt feelings, and how she won't forgive her friend, which I think is cruel, selfish and self-pitying.
Ergo: If someone makes a bad mistake it's understandable and acceptable to cancel them and blacklist them, and not forgive them, even if they've said sorry.
I think that's wrong.
The problem is, it seems the intended reading of the Finale is that it's okay to cancel people and not forgive people for making mistakes, which I think is lame, and probably one of the worst aspects of our modern culture. Or perhaps the film was trying to show that not forgiving people is bad, but it doesn't do a great job of communicating that. I don't think that was the intended reading though, and if it was, it would be over most people's head in my opinion. So basically the moral is - not forgiving a person for a genuine mistake is right.
Still it's a well made and moving film. I'd still recommend it, simply for how well it highlights these social issues.
Crazy postmodern crap.
ed-503-4651831 August 2022
If you want a snapshot of where society is going this is it. Pointless and humorless, self-hating crap. This is where we are. I hope people wake up and realize that this culture leads nowhere. Victimhood, hate, and rage with no redemption or forgiveness. Just destruction.
Great Acting and Compelling Story (But Rushed Ending)
aliyahtiedtke30 July 2022
I actually really enjoyed this movie..I really felt for the characters. I just wish there would have been some more of a resolve for the ending. The actress who played Rowan did a fantastic job, and a lot of her rallies to end gun violence really brought tears to my eyes. I think the friendship between Danni and Rowan was very believable, and the movie flowed really well.
Very okay
alexbazelos15 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
A special movie with a special message. Actually it demonstrates our days I liked the whole plot and the cast was good. To be honest i enjoyed the ending very much. I wouldn't like to see a classic movie ending where everyone forgive everyone and be happy. This ending suits perfectly to the whole story the big Dannie's lie. Of course i would like to see some details about Dannie's life after all, but in general it is a very good movie.
"Have you tried making amends?"
paul-allaer31 July 2022
As "Not Okay" (2022 release; 103 min) opens, the Zoey Deutch character, a twenty-something named Danni, is getting savaged online. We then go the "Two Months Earlier", as Danni is struggling at work, has no friends, and in a folly to try and impress a guy, posts about a (fake) trip to Paris. When a terrorist attack takes place in Paris, Danni decides to claim she was there and survived the attack...
Couple of comments: this is the second film written and directed by actress Quinn Shephard ("Blame"). Here she assesses the high price that comes with misleading everyone about who you are, all because you crave love and attention. The movie comes in 9 chapters (Chapter I: No-one Understands Me, etc.). The best part of the movie is the last third, when Danni is exposed for the fraud that she is. When Danni attends a support group after having been exposed, someone asks Danni "Have you tried making amends?". Danni is startled as this had never even occurred to her. Imagine that! Joey Deutch is cast perfectly as the internet-savvy attention-craving, emotionally hollow character that is Danni. Mia Isaac, whom we just saw recently in "Don't Make Me Go", also shines as Rowan, whose character actually survived violence. All in all, this movie is quite good, and it blows me away that writer-director Quinn Shephard is all of 27 yo. Wow. Well done.
"Not Okay" premiered this weekend on Hulu, and it has garnered a lot of positive buzz (I read a thumbs up review in Friday's New York Times). If you are in the mood for a movie that reflects on the cost of internet success, or simply are a fan of Joey Deutch or Mia Isaac, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the second film written and directed by actress Quinn Shephard ("Blame"). Here she assesses the high price that comes with misleading everyone about who you are, all because you crave love and attention. The movie comes in 9 chapters (Chapter I: No-one Understands Me, etc.). The best part of the movie is the last third, when Danni is exposed for the fraud that she is. When Danni attends a support group after having been exposed, someone asks Danni "Have you tried making amends?". Danni is startled as this had never even occurred to her. Imagine that! Joey Deutch is cast perfectly as the internet-savvy attention-craving, emotionally hollow character that is Danni. Mia Isaac, whom we just saw recently in "Don't Make Me Go", also shines as Rowan, whose character actually survived violence. All in all, this movie is quite good, and it blows me away that writer-director Quinn Shephard is all of 27 yo. Wow. Well done.
"Not Okay" premiered this weekend on Hulu, and it has garnered a lot of positive buzz (I read a thumbs up review in Friday's New York Times). If you are in the mood for a movie that reflects on the cost of internet success, or simply are a fan of Joey Deutch or Mia Isaac, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.
Political crappola
hawken14 August 2022
Just a bad movie that could have been good if you weren't trying to sell your weak minded dangerous ideas about self protection, one day when your forced to give away your home or bank account or heck your life maybe you can beg for a piece of paper and coal to write the movie this could have been.
Came for Dylan O'brien but stayed for moving message.
depietroamelia30 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I'm not going to lie, I opened this movie on Hulu because Dylan O'brien is in it and I adore his acting (and him). I had seen the trailers and followed the behind the scenes stuff on TikTok while this movie was being filmed and thought "Hey, Dylan O'Brien and a fun little movie to watch? Why not."
Starting this movie, it was a little hard to follow and get into. There were moments when I almost considered turning it off. The main character, Danni Sanders, is unlikable and tone deaf. She fakes going to Paris for a writers retreat to impress O'brien's character.
After finding out that revere were a series of bombings in Paris while she was "there", she proceeds to tell people that she was there when it happened.
I mean, how blind do you have to be to pretend you were a part of a seriously traumatic event?
Throughout the movie, Danni befriends Mia Isaac's character, Rowan Aldren, who has been a real life victim of a school shooting. And this is when the real, underlying message starts.
The message of gun violence and the message of "We Have Had Enough" is enough to get through through the rest of this movie.
Mia Isaac is enough to carry this movie to fruition and if there is any reason for you to watch it, it's to hear the message her character continually puts forth.
With that being said, stick it out. There is a lot to learn from this movie, and no I'm not talking about faking your way to fame. I am talking about violence in America and many other places in the world today. It allows the audience to really think about what people fear everyday.
Watch "Not Okay". You won't regret it.
Starting this movie, it was a little hard to follow and get into. There were moments when I almost considered turning it off. The main character, Danni Sanders, is unlikable and tone deaf. She fakes going to Paris for a writers retreat to impress O'brien's character.
After finding out that revere were a series of bombings in Paris while she was "there", she proceeds to tell people that she was there when it happened.
I mean, how blind do you have to be to pretend you were a part of a seriously traumatic event?
Throughout the movie, Danni befriends Mia Isaac's character, Rowan Aldren, who has been a real life victim of a school shooting. And this is when the real, underlying message starts.
The message of gun violence and the message of "We Have Had Enough" is enough to get through through the rest of this movie.
Mia Isaac is enough to carry this movie to fruition and if there is any reason for you to watch it, it's to hear the message her character continually puts forth.
With that being said, stick it out. There is a lot to learn from this movie, and no I'm not talking about faking your way to fame. I am talking about violence in America and many other places in the world today. It allows the audience to really think about what people fear everyday.
Watch "Not Okay". You won't regret it.
What was the point?
Draysan-Jennings30 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I obviously get the whole don't use a terrorist attack to gain fame thing. But was the point of the film? In the end Danni gets canceled and turns into a depressed drunk. No redemption, no moral to the story. Whatever message this film was trying to send went right over my head. 5 stars.
The movie is good. Give it a chance.
shauntyagi31 July 2022
It's a good movie. It shows a somewhat reality of this social media influencer age. People would do anything for recognition. The movie has it flaws in screenplay and the pace. It would have been good to give some background of main characters rather then just showing the main character as nice person but someone who just made a mistake and Rowan to just appear and be part of the story line. It was good movie overall.
Simply not a good movie
jacobdufouractor1 August 2022
I was very intrigued when I saw the premise of this movie, and couldn't wait to watch it. However, I was immediately disappointed by the poor writing and offensively stereotypical characters. The acting was abysmal without a single redeeming actor, but nothing topped how bad the writing was. Whoever wrote the screenplay obviously has never studied the art of writing, and should have taken a few classes to understand how character development and dialogue works and how people act, speak, and interact with each other in 2022. Or better yet, the writer could have just not written this script.
If nothing else, I hope the writer realizes one day that in order to hold the audience's attention, you must make at least one character likable, preferably your protagonist. Heck, even the "Gang" in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are likable in their own demented way, and they're all more narcissistic and evil than the main character in this movie. Make your characters likable, and people will watch them. Make them like they are in this movie, and the movie will be turned off before the halfway mark. Because it was.
If nothing else, I hope the writer realizes one day that in order to hold the audience's attention, you must make at least one character likable, preferably your protagonist. Heck, even the "Gang" in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are likable in their own demented way, and they're all more narcissistic and evil than the main character in this movie. Make your characters likable, and people will watch them. Make them like they are in this movie, and the movie will be turned off before the halfway mark. Because it was.
Actually Ok
jonathanweedin-7378630 July 2022
Obviously, this movie was painful and hateable at first. The main character is awful - they tell you that before it even starts. But by the end you just might feel something. She grows, in more ways than you expect. Give it a chance.
I've stopped watching a lot of movies and shows before finishing them, so I know the temptation. This one is worth finishing.
I've stopped watching a lot of movies and shows before finishing them, so I know the temptation. This one is worth finishing.
I feel Not Okay
seanillner3 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This movie starts off by warning the viewer that the film contains trauma and an unlikeable protagonist. Only one of those statements are true.
Our protagonist, Danni Sanders, is by conventional standards indeed unlikeable. But by the end, we learn that this movie is not conventional.
Starting off as a typical Netflix-like, influencer-driven, TikTok-inspired film, one could not be faulted entirely by sighing and rolling their eyes, wishing for it to end abruptly. Unfortunately, by the time the movie actually does end abruptly, you will have changed your mind.
Danni, our protagonist, is initially very likeable. She's sweet, fun, and easily entertained. But like many of the kids and adults of today's generation, she is lonely, depressed, and only just surviving.
After a fated comical run-in, leading her to smoking a copious amount of marijuana to impress the hip influencer Colin, she gets the idea to fake a trip to Paris for internet clout. While her online deception initially goes well, her story, and therefore her false online story, takes a turn for the worse after a terrible bombing takes place in actual Paris.
Stuck between coming clean and seeing the opportunity for even more internet clout, she doubles down on her lie and fakes being a victim, which works in her favor. At this point, you're not repelled by her morally decrepit actions, nor are you happy for her. You're simply just observing.
But through out the movie, the more she doubles down on her lies, the more we double down on her. Every time she one-ups her falsehood, we become more invested.
Through her support group, which she initially signed up for to get inspiration for her article, she meets Rowan, an actual survivor, and the two grow close. Danni's online manipulation is obviously terribly wrong, you can't help but feel for her when she finally gets what she wants: a friend.
Danni's fabrication continues on until a coworker of hers, Harper, catches on to her lies and confronts her about it.
This is where the movie's obligatory point-of-no-return rears it expectedly unexpected head. Danni is the one in the wrong, of course, but it is Harper who comes across as the villain, even though she is the one seeking justice and truth.
But why is this? Why do we care for the one in the wrong?
One of my favourite moments in movies is where a piece of dialogue, monologue, foreshadowing, whatever it may be, shows itself in a way that intentionally goes over the audience's head on the first viewing. But this little hint actually cuts through all the artistic fluffing and gets to the core of the creator's idea, the movie's message.
This movie has that, and it comes about 3/4's of the way through. It is casually disguised as a joke in a conversation between Danni and Rowan, after some firecrackers triggers our the protagonist's aforementioned friend's trauma, leading to her staying at the hospital.
There, Danni messes up a saying by Rowan, unintentionally switching around two words. This act of unintentionality is actually very intentionally speaking the film's core message directly to the viewer: "the internet loves turning villains into victims."
Now clearly, it is the other way around. Conventionally, it is. But as mentioned before, this movie is not conventional. Because by the end, Danni exposes herself, which leads to hate, shame and even death threats. But we can't help but feel bad for her. Why?
Because villains aren't villains. It isn't that clear cut. Villains are all victims in their own way. Danni never meant to hurt anybody, she was only lonely, depressed, and looking for a friend. She found a way to get out of that, albeit a very vile way. When she is hated more than ever, we, the audience, love her more so.
It's like the old Greeks. They loved tragedy and very often put on acts that depicted tragedy befalling a likeable character. They believed witnessing such tragedy was important, so the public could learn to cultivate empathy for those who needed it most.
Reading the other reviews on the movie, it seems the consensus is that the movie did not have a message, or it flew over their heads. Maybe the movie doesn't have a message. Maybe I'm reading too much into it.
Or maybe it's because this is a Greek tragedy disguised as a bland, feature-length Instagram Reel. This movie isn't telling the story of a hero beating a villain, it's telling the story of a broken woman seeking friendship in her own broken way, leading to her own downfall.
And we, in a postmodern age of black-and-white, good-or-bad cancel-culture discourse, can't easily comprehend the nuance of humans doing humans things, because we are so used to only being shown the best or the worst of everything.
So maybe this movie really does live up to its name, maybe it's not that good. But it's unconventional, and I think that's okay.
Our protagonist, Danni Sanders, is by conventional standards indeed unlikeable. But by the end, we learn that this movie is not conventional.
Starting off as a typical Netflix-like, influencer-driven, TikTok-inspired film, one could not be faulted entirely by sighing and rolling their eyes, wishing for it to end abruptly. Unfortunately, by the time the movie actually does end abruptly, you will have changed your mind.
Danni, our protagonist, is initially very likeable. She's sweet, fun, and easily entertained. But like many of the kids and adults of today's generation, she is lonely, depressed, and only just surviving.
After a fated comical run-in, leading her to smoking a copious amount of marijuana to impress the hip influencer Colin, she gets the idea to fake a trip to Paris for internet clout. While her online deception initially goes well, her story, and therefore her false online story, takes a turn for the worse after a terrible bombing takes place in actual Paris.
Stuck between coming clean and seeing the opportunity for even more internet clout, she doubles down on her lie and fakes being a victim, which works in her favor. At this point, you're not repelled by her morally decrepit actions, nor are you happy for her. You're simply just observing.
But through out the movie, the more she doubles down on her lies, the more we double down on her. Every time she one-ups her falsehood, we become more invested.
Through her support group, which she initially signed up for to get inspiration for her article, she meets Rowan, an actual survivor, and the two grow close. Danni's online manipulation is obviously terribly wrong, you can't help but feel for her when she finally gets what she wants: a friend.
Danni's fabrication continues on until a coworker of hers, Harper, catches on to her lies and confronts her about it.
This is where the movie's obligatory point-of-no-return rears it expectedly unexpected head. Danni is the one in the wrong, of course, but it is Harper who comes across as the villain, even though she is the one seeking justice and truth.
But why is this? Why do we care for the one in the wrong?
One of my favourite moments in movies is where a piece of dialogue, monologue, foreshadowing, whatever it may be, shows itself in a way that intentionally goes over the audience's head on the first viewing. But this little hint actually cuts through all the artistic fluffing and gets to the core of the creator's idea, the movie's message.
This movie has that, and it comes about 3/4's of the way through. It is casually disguised as a joke in a conversation between Danni and Rowan, after some firecrackers triggers our the protagonist's aforementioned friend's trauma, leading to her staying at the hospital.
There, Danni messes up a saying by Rowan, unintentionally switching around two words. This act of unintentionality is actually very intentionally speaking the film's core message directly to the viewer: "the internet loves turning villains into victims."
Now clearly, it is the other way around. Conventionally, it is. But as mentioned before, this movie is not conventional. Because by the end, Danni exposes herself, which leads to hate, shame and even death threats. But we can't help but feel bad for her. Why?
Because villains aren't villains. It isn't that clear cut. Villains are all victims in their own way. Danni never meant to hurt anybody, she was only lonely, depressed, and looking for a friend. She found a way to get out of that, albeit a very vile way. When she is hated more than ever, we, the audience, love her more so.
It's like the old Greeks. They loved tragedy and very often put on acts that depicted tragedy befalling a likeable character. They believed witnessing such tragedy was important, so the public could learn to cultivate empathy for those who needed it most.
Reading the other reviews on the movie, it seems the consensus is that the movie did not have a message, or it flew over their heads. Maybe the movie doesn't have a message. Maybe I'm reading too much into it.
Or maybe it's because this is a Greek tragedy disguised as a bland, feature-length Instagram Reel. This movie isn't telling the story of a hero beating a villain, it's telling the story of a broken woman seeking friendship in her own broken way, leading to her own downfall.
And we, in a postmodern age of black-and-white, good-or-bad cancel-culture discourse, can't easily comprehend the nuance of humans doing humans things, because we are so used to only being shown the best or the worst of everything.
So maybe this movie really does live up to its name, maybe it's not that good. But it's unconventional, and I think that's okay.
Meaningless exercise in cruelty and nihilism
RebelPanda6 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
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.
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.
Interesting
blebbe1 August 2022
The main character is really unlikeable, but that's the point. This is a story that could be real, people like this exist. That's what this movie was good at; making it look realistic. Often when people try to depict "internet culture" in movies it ends up looking tacky. But this movie did it pretty well. The good acting is also worth mentioning.
My critique is the pacing and simplicity, some of the scenes were too long. It was a little slow paced, which would have been fine if there had been something that had made me keep watching it. Because the ending was predictable. This was an interesting story, but not interesting enough to make me hooked all the way through.
My critique is the pacing and simplicity, some of the scenes were too long. It was a little slow paced, which would have been fine if there had been something that had made me keep watching it. Because the ending was predictable. This was an interesting story, but not interesting enough to make me hooked all the way through.
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