Not Okay

Cert - 15, Run-time - 1 hours 40 minutes,

Director - Quinn Shephard

Danni (Zoey Deutch) is thrown into the influencer sphere after creating a false narrative that she survived a terrorist attack.

It’s probably a good thing for some that writer-director Quinn Shephard’s Not Okay has landed directly onto Disney+. Not only to make the most of the pause button, but especially for anyone prone to audible reactions. There are plenty of occasions throughout the run-time where I found myself audibly wincing, groaning, gasping and blurting exasperated yelps of “oh no” and “stop” in the hope that the central figure would just stop talking! There’s no denying, Not Okay is one of the most uncomfortable films I have ever watched.

The 100-minute endurance test follows Danni (Zoey Deutch), a hopeful writer working as a photo editor for online magazine Depravity. In the hope of gaining recognition, she fakes going to a writers retreat in Paris, Photoshopping pictures for her Instagram from her New York apartment. However, overnight news breaks of a terrorist attack in the city. Instead of admitting that she’s been at home Danni pretends she was nearby; the beginning of a spiral of lies.

During one key scene we see her attend a survivors group. Whilst those around her are emotionally open about their experiences from school shooting to bombing survivors we sit in a painfully uncomfortable state knowing that Danni is only present to get realistic quotes for a piece she intends to write about her fake experiences. The sequence is expertly handed by Shephard whose direction subtly shines throughout. Getting across the cringe-related tension and discomfort while managing to wind in elements of satire - there are a couple of amusing moments throughout the film, although not at any tragic expense - as Danni begins to find internet fame and live the life of an influencer - the one she’s long dreamed of.

Part of Danni’s fame comes from her growing friendship with school shooting survivor Rowan (Mia Isaac). We see Rowan passionately delivering speeches, striking an emotional chord, angrily blasting her words into the microphone - she doesn’t make eye contact with the camera but you certainly feel the personal heat through a fiery connection in the moment. We see the panic instantly hit her eyes as her school goes into a lockdown drill - Isaac commanding the screen during such moments.

However, it all spins back to Danni - who we’re warned before the studio logos roll is “an unlikable female protagonist”. While some expected developments arrive after the hour mark - the film opens with her sat at her laptop watching rapidly doomscrolling death threats hurl through her Twitter feed - there’s still an engaging nature. The narrative may be recognisable, a web of lies built to come crashing down, but there’s something about the film’s style, perhaps the satirical edge which Shephard introduces, which helps to keep things going through this engaging, if fittingly trialling, piece of work. Intentionally discomforting, and undeniably effective, there’s still enjoyment to be found amongst the drama and tragedies.

Jamie Skinner - Four stars