10/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars

If the headline to this review confused you, it’s likely you live outside of the culture that Not Okay is about. And that is okay. Because unfortunately, the internet and social media have become more than a place where people finding the shortest short hand way to say phrases like “You are cancelled”, then tacking on a hashtag (or pound/number sign) to quickly communicate with friends. It has grown into a machine that thrives on unhealthy - often toxic - behavior that now has us asking: is going morally bankrupt and bearing all that trauma really worth 15 minutes of fame?

In the age of an internet cluttered with scams, microcelebrities, and performative activism, it’s hard to find the truth. People will say or do anything for engagement, the more outlandish the better. A majority of viewers understand it’s all fake, but it is so intoxicating that they can’t help but get wrapped up in all the drama. Others are just constantly in defense mode and ready at the drop of a hat with torches and pitchforks. Writer/director Quinn Shephard (Blame) crafts a brutally funny examination of this culture in her new satire Not Okay.

Aspiring journalist Danni Sander (Zoey Deutch, Flower) is just craving to be noticed. Tired of being invisible, she fabricates a fake writer's retreat to Paris in hopes to garner some attention, especially by stoner influencer Colin (Dylan O’Brien, The Outfit). After posting some undistugushably photoshopped pictures of her “luxiourious travels” from her dirty Bushwick apartment, there’s a real terrorist attacks in Paris. Rather than admitting her lie, she plays the victim. Now viewed as a bombing survivor, Danni gains notoriety, respect at work, and of course 32k new followers. While basking in her newly found fame, she turns a blind eye to the pain of real survivors and steals their platform.

Zoey Deutch is iconic in the role of lexapro popping, clout chasing zillennial - not quite millennial, not gen-z either, born after ‘97 but before 9/11. She’s tuned in to Danni’s entitled and socially awkward personality with such precision. Thanks to Deutch's winning personality and likability, at times you’ll start to justify her actions. Then she’ll say something highly insensitive and you resort back to disliking her. But then again Danni doesn’t intentionally tell too many lies, she just allows everyone around her to interpret their own version of events and goes with it. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Deutch pairs magnificently with powerhouse Mia Issac in her debut performance as Rowan. The way she accesses emotional trauma is show stopping. During an active shooter drill, her pain is goosebump inducing. With such a stellar first performance, Issac is one to watch.

The film remains wildy fresh, aligning with the current environment while nodding to early 2000s comedies like The House Bunny and She’s the Man. Costume designer Sarah Laux (High Fidelity) plays a major role in rooting Not Okay in place as one of the most authentically gen-z movies. Even with the rapidly changing fashion scene, every outfit, from the earrings to the shoes, feels particularly constructed and matches aesthetics on present social media feeds. This is all complemented by gleaming visuals from cinematographer Robby Baumgartner (The Guest) who captures the essence of the bubblegum pop atmosphere. The camera slowly tightens on Danni as the film progresses, capturing her angst and worry of being exposed and elevating the anxiety.

Shephard has a masterful understanding of today’s culture. Being chronically online has really shifted gen-z’s behavior, causing almost every virtual interaction to be vapid and meaningless. Anyone can get canceled for the simplest post. Best explained by @BravoCoolee on twitter, “You can say ‘I like pancakes’ and somebody will say “So you hate waffles?’” Shephard has fun illustrating how gross and shallow the new clout-chasing influencer lifestyle truly is. Knowing audiences love unlikable female protagonists, she pushes the limit to see where the line should be drawn. Some will root for Danni, but most will shame her, and rightfully so. Faking being a victim for notoriety is a vile thing to do and Shephard gets that. She doesn’t make Danni out to be a monster, allowing her to be a flawed human being, while still holding her accountable.

Cancel culture is nothing new, as proven in this modern day telling of The Crucible. Not Okay uses this tale of classic shaming to hold a mirror to the superficial and despising influencer culture. Shephard takes things to the extreme, but everyday there's another individual who thinks they can pray on others' pain for sympathy. Not Okay is a fun and enjoyable watch, which wouldn’t be the case if the ending went in a different direction.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Not Okay"; #URCXLD