Not Okay movie review: A solid modern-day satire

Searchlight Pictures’ newest feature, Not Okay, hit Hulu earlier this week. With a long list of new summer movie releases that you may have to catch up on, is this one worth a watch? Let’s take a look.

The satirical dramedy written and directed by Quinn Shephard stars Zoey Deutch, Dylan O’Brien, and Mia Isaac. The official synopsis via Hulu is as follows:

"“Not Okay” follows Danni Sanders, an aimless aspiring writer with no friends, no romantic prospects and –worst of all– no followers, who fakes an Instagram-friendly trip to Paris in hopes of boosting her social media clout. When a terrifying incident strikes the City of Lights, Danni unwittingly falls into a bigger lie than she ever imagined. She “returns” a hero, even striking up an unlikely friendship with Rowan, a school-shooting survivor dedicated to social change, and scooping up the man of her dreams, Colin. 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 facade cracks, and she learns the hard way that the Internet loves a takedown."

Not Okay is a solid take on a 21st-century satire

Sometimes when tackling a social satire, the casual audience may not immediately grasp what It is supposed to be and may take it for what it is at its core. Right off the bat, the film opens with a warning preparing audiences for the “unlikeable female protagonist,” Danni Sanders, played by Deutch.

Speaking of Deutch’s performance,  she manages to capture the essence of a wanna-be social media influencer perfectly. Her demeanor is definitely one to keep you engaged for the entire 100-minute runtime. While the character’s decisions are questionable, to say the least, Danni’s motives and the great lengths she takes to achieve them are sure to have the audience fearing what she’d do next. I’d definitely say this is Deutch’s most versatile performance to date.

As a character, Danni’s dynamic with Rowan (Mia Isaac) is one layered with depth. Both actresses feed well off each other and you can feel it within the film. My love for Deutch’s performance in this film is well documented but Isaac is the standout. Her role of being a young activist feels genuine, and Rowan is definitely a character who feels like a real-life youth activist. Great stuff.

As for Dylan O’Brien’s character, Colin, he does a spot-on impression of a 20-something-year-old Instagram influencer immersed in the ins and outs of being a prominent social media figure. O’Brien even credited his ‘own slut era’ while prepping for the role as an inspiration for his performance. I was skeptical about the casting at first, but my mind was changed by the time the credits rolled.

Without getting into spoiler territory, some story beats feel wonky and as if they fly out of left field. However, overall there are more authentic moments than there are cringy ones — with a few laughs along the way.

Not Okay does a phenomenal job at tackling the toxic traits of modern-day social media — the loss of one’s true identity in hope of “likes and popularity.” It is a scary thing that has plagued younger generations since the global prominence of these apps.

The target audience here is definitely Millennials and Gen-Z, so I would say maybe choose a different film for a movie night with the grandparents.

Overall, the film sticks the landing. Incredible performances by Dutch, O’Brien, and Isaac elevate this one to a solid 3.5/5 in my book. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel on anything new, Not Okay is still a very entertaining watch. Check it out for sure.

Not Okay is now streaming on Hulu.