Most films influence you to like their protagonist. Not Okay (2022) does the opposite. It ​follows the story of a character who wanted to just be noticed, regardless of what it was for. Everyone involved with the making of this film makes a bold choice: The one to be brutally honest with the portrayal of a character that doesn’t win, even if it makes them or the movie unpopular.

Plot Overview

The movie follows the story of Danni Sanders (played by Zoey Deutch), a photo editor for an online magazine, Depravity, in New York City. She is desperate to be known and accepted by the internet, her crush, Colin (played by Dylan O’Brien), and her peers. Danni lies about going to a writer’s retreat in Paris, which gets a slightly curious reaction from Colin.

Encouraged by this exchange, she spends the next week editing and posting pictures of her fake trip on Instagram. This brings her a modest following, which includes Colin. A few days later, she finds out that there has been a terrorist attack in Paris and uses that incident to gain attention and, for a time, everything she wanted.  

​But does she keep benefitting from the lies in her life, or her actions eventually catch up to her? That’s the question the rest of the film explores. And fair warning: you won’t get clear answers.

Marketing

If I were in a rapid-fire round and someone asked me, “What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Not Okay?” I would say, “Marketing”. Shortly after the movie was launched, the team began posting reels, posters, and updates on their Instagram page.

One video that I especially enjoyed featured the director and leads with a popular audio & trend of that era. In that video, they joked that their audiences were looking only for Dylan. Another clip had the team FaceTiming each other to ask who has the trailer? The director, Quinn Shephard, reveals that she has the trailer, but asks, “Who has the movie file?”, and gets no answer.

If you want you can still find these clips on the film’s official Instagram. These videos were so fun to watch, and they gave me the impression that it would be a super fun movie. But once I watched the trailer and eventually the film, I realized that it was nothing like the vibe the reels had sold me on.

Now, a lot of movies publish such content pre-release. But, back in 2022, or at least in my experience, the idea seemed incredibly unique. While only Hulu can say how impactful their strategy was on a global scale, I was certainly hooked.  

Direction

Quinn Shephard’s direction is sharp and characteristically fearless, as evident from her exceptional directorial debut, “Blame” (2017). I believe it’s not easy to direct a lead character who doesn’t get a redemption arc or any kind of win by the end. One scene where her work especially shines is when Danni admits to being unsure of whether she has grown or learned anything from her experiences.

I believe most movies would have taken the predictable route of making the lead more reflective here, and thereby gaining the audience’s sympathy. But, she doesn’t stray away from her mission of displaying the story of a dangerously hollow character.

One aspect where she and cinematographer Robby Baumgartner make quite an impact is in the overall look of the movie. The movie has a glossy and saturated look in scenes relating to the social media world. In contrast, the scenes with Rowan Aldren (played by Mia Isaac) seem much more grounded and real. Through this technique, the movie shows how empty Danni’s world is, even though it looks shiny on the surface.

The film accurately displays how performative the world of social media attention is. But I believe Quinn’s work shines the most in scenes that deal with the negative aspects of social media. I have watched the movie twice. But in my second viewing, I didn’t enjoy the material until it got into the heavier parts as much as I did in the first.

Acting Performances

In the acting department, the film rests firmly on the shoulders of Zoey Deutch, and she has absolutely nailed it. Her character is messy, shallow, and lonely. While what she did was undeniably rotten, a part of you will understand that she did it out of loneliness and need for validation.

Social media has changed the way many of us define success and failure. To me, it felt like Danni Sanders was a victim of that change, even though it doesn’t excuse her actions.​ Zoey’s brilliance lies in the fact that she doesn’t give you any clear answers on what to feel about her.

When you see her sobbing and in shock, you do feel sorry for her. But then you see her admit that she doesn’t know if she has grown, and now you’re equally unsure.

From her desperation to become famous on the internet to being caught in career-wrecking situations to loneliness, she has conveyed every emotion beautifully.

I think she also deserves a ton of credit for choosing this kind of role, where she doesn’t get any bit of redemption. Not that other established stars aren’t choosing this route, but I believe that any established star who willingly opts for this route deserves their fair share of flowers.

​Mia Isaac as anti-gun activist Rowan Aldren does full justice to her role. In contrast to Danni, Rowan is empathetic, mature, and unconventionally courageous. The reason I say “unconventional” is that even though she suffers from PTSD, anxiety, and stage fright, she doesn’t let those fears stand in the way of her activism duties.

She brings a sense of honesty to the role, and in the final scene, we see her bottled-up anger against Danni. Mia Isaac was offered a chance to shine and display different emotions, and she has certainly succeeded in that. And, finally, Dylan O’Brien’s screentime might be less, but his impact surely isn’t.

Conclusion

You will probably enjoy Not Okay if you aren’t put off by stories where the lead shows promise, in parts, but is ultimately shallow. Besides, you will likely feel for Rowan Aldren, the sting of the strangely performative world of social media, and how it has changed society’s perception. 

But if you go in expecting an incredibly dark tale about social media, you will be disappointed. Nevertheless, it’s definitely a different yet strangely memorable film.