Not Okay (2022) review

Not Okay is the latest in a long string of original streaming service films that exist solely to cater to social media algorithms, tailor-made to go viral on TikTok for a view days and then be forgotten by the time next week rolls around. Remember Spiderhead? Me neither!

On top of having the same entry-level film school directing as every other TikTok trendy Hulu or Netflix original movie you could see right now, Not Okay has the facade of being a smart movie while having nothing substantive to offer. The premise, while a very good idea for a clever dark comedy or satire about clout chasing online, is wasted on the most trite, monotonous and flat movie imaginable. The direction, while from a 27-year-old, comes across like it’s from a 47-year-old who has never talked to someone below the age of 30. In place of a directorial voice is the desire to be trendy with a soundtrack that reminds you of TikTok and the most forced and colorful title cards anyone’s ever seen, and be viewed as someone with something important to say, despite having nothing new to offer.

The film is about a girl named Danni who fakes being at a terrorist attack so she can gain clout on social media and propel her writing career. But the movie’s commentary is so toothless and unimaginative that the movie never really goes the extra mile to make the viewer genuinely feel uncomfortable about what they’re watching, resulting in a tonally inconsistent flatline of a movie that feels like an awkward companion piece to Dear Evan Hansen. Not Okay doesn’t have the guts to make its protagonist the monster that would truly get the point of the movie across in a memorable way, making the movie feel like it’s in some limbo where it’s paying lip-service to the commentary it claims to be making while never going through with it.

If Not Okay is supposed to be satirical, which I suppose it is because I don't know what else it could be attempting, it doesn’t do a good job at all because it does nothing satirical at all with its satirical premise. Something that some of the best satire does is have a conclusion that really hammers home the point of the movie and really forces you to think about what you’ve just seen. A great way to do this is either to have a character who is in the wrong be completely vindicated and have a happy ending, ie Starship Troopers, or to have a character who hasn’t done anything wrong receive a horrific fate ie Brazil.

In Not Okay, Danni is exposed as a fraud by her coworker Harper, and faces the consequences for it, getting fired from her job, loses her friends and reputation and gets blasted online. This was not only telegraphed from the opening of the film, taking away any and all suspense from what would eventually happen, but it ruined the film’s opportunity to say something about the media machine, celebrity culture and clout chasing. As is, Not Okay says that if you’re a bad faith actor or a liar on the internet, you’re gonna be exposed and you’ll face the consequences of your actions, which is the polar opposite of what a clever, satirical take on this subject matter would be. Think of how many social media personalities have been caught doing something reprehensible and are still going strong to this very day. Speaking of reprehensible people who did horrible things and still have a following, I was reminded the other day of Logan Paul filming a dead body after seeing his Twitter thread about how much he hated Nope. Funny that a movie about exploiting tragedy for clout went over that man’s head. I’m sure Not Okay would be a bit more his speed.