With the rise of social media influencers as part of the larger popular culture, movies have begun to tackle their impact on the individual, perhaps most notably with the black comedy Ingrid Goes West. In her new movie, Not Okay, writer-director Quinn Shephard delivers a black comedy of her own, one that focuses on one person desiring the fame of being an influencer above all else — to her own personal detriment. Zoey Deutch shines as the (mostly) unlikable lead in Not Okay, an incisive and entertaining satire of social media influencers and fame.
Not Okay follows Danni Sanders (Deutch) an aspiring writer and social media influencer who, to impress the guy she likes — Colin (Dylan O'Brien) — tells him she's been accepted into a writer's retreat in Paris. Instead of admitting to the lie, Danni uses creative photo editing to post images on social media as if she really is in Europe. However, when there's a terrorist attack in Paris, Danni's lie gets more complicated. Instead of telling her friends and family she was never really in Paris, she continues with the ruse. It spins out of control and, when Danni attends a support group for those who survived traumatic events, she meets Rowan (Mia Isaac), a young activist fighting for gun reform. As Danni begins to learn there's more to life than social media fame, her colleague Harper (Nadia Alexander) begins digging into her story.
Shephard's script for Not Okay is clever right from the jump, warning audiences the movie tells the story of an unlikable protagonist before delivering on that promise in spades. With Danni, Shephard manages to construct a character who is truly destructive and does some heinous things that audiences themselves likely wouldn't. The film also gives viewers enough insight into why exactly Danni is the way she is that she becomes sympathetic. The story especially gets going when Rowan is introduced; Rowan is the complete opposite of Danni and illustrates the other side of the coin, which is what happens when someone's social media fame is a side effect of trying to enact real change in the world. The dichotomy between Danni and Rowan is Not Okay's biggest strength and making their relationship a focus of the film gives it a strong foundation.
As such, Not Okay truly hinges on the performances of Zoey Deutch and Mia Isaac, and both women portray their characters brilliantly. As the tone-deaf and unlikable Danni, Deutch plays her with just enough charm that, even if the viewer doesn't empathize with her character from the start, they will pity the loneliness she feels. As the more down-to-earth Rowan, Isaac is full of charisma and it's easy to see why Danni would be drawn to the young activist, even when it becomes clear they don't view social media in the same way. The supporting cast shines as well, particularly Dylan O'Brien and Nadia Alexander. O'Brien strikes the right balance between obnoxious and disingenuous as the mid-range influencer Colin. Meanwhile, Alexander gives Harper a quiet rage that helps the character feel well-developed enough. All told, Shepard has pulled great performances from the cast of Not Okay, which elevates her film.
In terms of how Not Okay handles the social media fame inherent in its premise, the depiction of Danni's rise and fall is unflinchingly true to life — from how fast she goes viral and how she (and the magazine she works for) tries to capitalize on her moment in the spotlight, to her inevitable downfall and the gleeful way the internet picks apart her notoriety. Shephard may not make any new or revelatory statements about social media and its impact on an individual, but it never shies away from all the ugly aspects of it either, whether it's depicting Danni's hunger for validation through likes or the brutality of hateful comments. Still, Shephard doesn't insult Danni by portraying her as someone too naive to understand the pitfalls of social media, which makes the story all the more fascinating to watch.
Ultimately, Not Okay is certainly worth watching for anyone intrigued by the premise, or anyone who's a fan of any of the talent involved. Deutch is charming and compelling as Danni, while Isaac excels as the foil in Rowan, and O'Brien brings plenty of humor as Colin. There is a great deal of cringe comedy in Not Okay and the actors all pull it off well. Shephard's social media black comedy is an entertaining film that may leave audiences thinking about their own relationship to social media.
Not Okay starts streaming on Hulu Friday, July 29. The film is 100 minutes long and is rated R for language throughout, drug use and some sexual content.