not okay is... okay? 📱🐹💄 (not okay 2022 movie review)
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2022
- written and directed by quinn shepherd, not okay follows the unlikeable danni sanders (played by zoey deutch) as she makes a series of increasingly bad decisions that lead to her eventual downfall. a satirical dramedy that attempts to comment on internet culture, white privilege, and the lingering effects of trauma, the film is distinctly of its time, having language, themes, and even clothing that are firmly rooted in the 2020s. what did you think of not okay?
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What is also interesting is the fact that most Gen Z are bashing the movie before watching it because the costumes are “2020” and “out of fashion”. Confirming the fact that micro trends lasting shorter and shorter
i just found it funny how me and her actually have the same outfit
It literally confirms what the movie is saying. Very interesting
nobody is basing it?
@@sandy-bc2to right like how ironic. maybe watch the movie first
@@sv4773 have you been on tik tok or twitter lately? Cause they’ve been going hard on the outfits
It was refreshing to see an unlikable female character who remained unlikable throughout the film. Normally, the writers would try to persuade us to forgive them for what they did, despite the fact that they did nothing to redeem themselves until the very end of the movie
Completely agree! Omg I was so thrown off by the ending because I kept saying throughout the entire movie that home girl has done NOTHING to actually take accountability for her lies and deserves the consequences that she’s facing, and when she didn’t get the redemption arc and the movie ended I was like YES! Not everyone redeems themselves or adequately take responsibility for the wrongs that they’ve committed but I feel like it’s so taboo to not wrap up a story like this neatly in movies. Was so happy about how aware of itself this movie was
Seconded, I liked how they were unafraid to make Danni unlikeable, and didn't try to force a redemption arc, just because she was a woman.
right. it was unusual for me when the movie ended with no redemption arc for dani, but i actually felt good after it because of that
the dutch movie anne+ (on netflix, must watch for lgbtqia peeps bc very nice representation) did a similar thing but even more severe. the entire movie i was like, i hate the main character, her choices and attitude, but she's never acknowledging it, so i was left guessing whether it was on purpose or not. but it turned out to be on purpose! that was actually a really pleasant and interesting experience, because i realized i hadn't seen a movie like that before. i get really frustrated now when people complain they didn't like a character (mostly women) in a show or movie. are these characters supposed to be totally likable all the time? wouldn't make a really interesting story tbh
They totally did that in umbrella academy season 3 with Allison! 😕
When she did this “👉🏽👈🏽” confirms to me she’s gonna be unlikeable
I definitely cringed every single time, so I guess that was the point lmao
Ok. What does that actually mean?
@@ziggystardusk6629 to appear cuter and shy
Dude everytime I think about that moment I laugh
@@ziggystardusk6629 it’s a gen z tiktok thing lol
I really like that Danny isn’t sure she actually learned anything because it’s so realistic, I mean how many influencers have hurt people and their fans apologize go quiet then bounce back only to repeat the cycle
And I thought it showed very well that publicly shaming people (even awful people) doesn’t do anything if you don’t have a clear goal in line that isn’t “make person feel bad”
Thinking about that, I have to wonder if Danni’s character would take advantage of that narrative. The “most hated woman” angle. I.e Trisha Paytas, Gabbi Hannah, Kardashians, Anna Delvy.
While women can’t make mistakes, they CAN still capitalize off it if they’re well off and white. Potentially something Danni wouldn’t be above taking advantage of. Especially if she’s coming from an isolating and unredemptive (if that’s a word) place. It would be disheartening to see the character make that choice, but would probably be the most logical route. Especially if the movie wants to emphasize she does not redeem herself and learned nothing.
Idk I felt like the ending needed more and the “open ending” wasn’t enough to hit home the full commentary on social media.
@@pollyflores418 I totally agree. Often these people who were publicly shamed for their actions end up having a "woe is me" attitude and focusing on their own personal feelings of victim-hood rather than the hurt they inflicted on others with their actions.
I think her comeuppance is accurate to real life. Public shames her, but Danni only puts on a show of apologizing to get them off her back. She’s only sorry she got caught, and didn’t realize that what she’s doing is wrong
i actually really liked this movie. i saw a lot of people saying it was cringey, and while i agree (especially with the scenes between danni and colin), it was clear to me that the film was a satire. that made it even better because that cringe isn’t meant to be taken as something the writers wrote seriously, they WANTED us to be cringed out.
Exactly, like that was the whole point!
yes!!! i loved it
The part where Harper calls out Colin by saying he’s from and he just turns off the blaccent like in this exasperated way… when I tell you I laughed out loud. Dylan O’Brien is hilarious for that
It was intentionally cringey tho.
@@strangeturtle5947 that’s what i’m saying? they wrote it that way but it wasn’t written to be taken seriously and to so desperately appeal to the younger generation like so many tv shows/movies do.
This maybe an unpopular opinion, but I thought Danni walking out at the end of Rowan's performance showed some growth on Danni's part. She had a whole apology speech rehearsed (very much still making the situation about herself) but stopped herself when she realized Rowan was not ready to hear her apology. If she hadn't learned anything, she would've gone up to Rowan and continued the speech, ignoring the boundary Rowan so clearly stated during her poem.
i agree! she's no longer thinking about herself, this is the first act she made that she consciously thought of how it could affect someone else and chose to respect Rowan, which i think further shows how truly attached she became to Rowan despite the lie. her major consequence is losing that connection that was the most real, authentic connection she's had the entire movie, which was cultivated based on a horrible lie.
She was prolly afraid of the backlash
Agreed!
I feel like “Colin, you’re from Maine” could be the next “Gretchen, stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen."
more like "she doesn't even go here"
Was definitely the best line of the film 😂
if you’re from Africa, why are you white?
Let’s make it happen
Also something that this film made me put into words is that black people are never praised for having blaccents - they are called ghetto and uneducated. Only white people praise for blaccents.
I thought the age gap in the friendship between Danni and Rowen was also very telling. Rowen, a high school teen although very smart was still used by Danni a mid 20s adult. An activist in Danni’s age group probably would have saw right through her. She also had no friends so it makes sense (in a weird way) her only friend was a kid in high school. I’m not sure if it was intentional but I thought they did a great job at depicting the dangers (for lack of a better word) of friendships/relationships with people outside of your age group and how the older person is usually seeking the attention of the younger person for their own personal satisfaction/gain. They sweetened it up with the sister bit but Danni full on used the girl for fame.
I feel like u are missing the point that she was so lonely she actually thought it was necessary to lie for attention in the first place... its deeper than her being a clout chaser. Its not the story of an attention seeker, its the story of a lonely person who uses attention wherever she can because its the only time ppl pay attention to her?
Really good point! The life experience really makes a difference, no matter the stage of intellect.
this was a good point ignore the ignorance and stupidity of the first comment under this, i totally agree and danni’s manipulation to rowan and using her vulnerability as a step up was unsettling
@@soraya131 Agreed, the original comment was spot on and resonated
This is a great point! I didn't even notice till you pointed it out
You're right! An older version of Rowen would easily see through her
It's insane how fast trend cycles move cause even the costumes are supposed to be based on 2020s. They feel kinda dated. Like every fashion cycle just moves on so fast now
rlly? most girls i know irl basically dress the same as her.
@@naomisathyendra6973 same
Nah this is how everyone dresses I mean new trends and aesthetic come around and it’s looks more 2020 than 2022 but still pretty accurate
I see this take all the time and I don’t fully agree with this take. There are plenty of micro trends, but there’s an obvious over arcing aesthetic that’s coming out of the 2020s. I’d argue that she isn’t even in quintessential 2020s decade clothing- just specific pieces that got popular in the year of 2020.
I liked the main characters clothes bc it was giving desperation to be seen as young and cool and really fit her character
I’ve seen so many people online complain that the movie is “cringey” which is hilarious because that’s literally the entire point 😭 she’s not supposed to be likable, she’s so incredibly online and tone deaf
There is something to be said about the fact that people on Twitter and Tumblr are more focused on Dylan O' Brien role than the theme of the movie itself.
It's almost like meta commentary, lol 😂
Like, of course his character is a super influencer if he can influence people beyond his 'world' (I mean the real world from within the film world)
its so ironic
Someone said Dylan carried the movie when his character was a douche and he was probably in four scenes overall
They knew to use him because of his fanbase like me and come on seeing Him blonde in this and playing different character then he plays was a reason to see this movie. They really used him to promote this movie big time they knew what they were doing.
@@KHWendy28 so unaware.
I’m really surprised that I haven’t seen a commentary on this movie discuss Harper as a character. Harper was both a foil to Danni while also being the same as her. Where Danni was unaware of her surroundings, Harper was hyper aware. Yet, Harper comes from the same position of Danni as a white person with both racial and economic privileges. Even so, Harper acts like she is completely separate from Danni. Harper very much reminds me of woke™️ white people of social media who think because they’re educated it means they’re completely unattached from other white people; they’re “one of the good ones”. Harper even kinda lets it slip that she’s no better than Danni too, saying she thought about how successful exposing Danni would be. Like Danni, the first thing that came to mind in this situation is how she could benefit from it. No matter how much she tries the paint herself as a person that’s better than Danni, the only reason she decides to investigate Danni’s story is because she’s jealous of the success.
Totally agree with this comment. Especially after watching the scene where the girl and protagonist are fighting and every "serious" person in the work area stand in front and watch like some reality tv. Giving cero privacy and respect for the damage that is generating.
Great commentary, I'd only add the difference between Harper and Danni is that Harper appears to be a genuinely talented writer, whereas Danni is not.
@@ttenesirow8463 exactly this. watching that scene i could only think how despicable it was that Danni's coworkers were sitting there watching, giggling, and filming while a child was hurting... Like it was just workplace tea/drama instead of someone's actual life.
In the movie Harper is portrayed as the the aware, well in tune person in contrast to Danni like you said, but I couldn't figure out why I didn't like her character at the end of the movie. I'm glad I found this comment. I agree that she's essentially the woke white person who still has white privilege, but I also think that she believes being gay, as they are a minority, puts her at a more woke holier than thou level than Danni. She only outed Danni because she was jealous, even admitted it was mostly out of envy and not even morale which solidifies your analysis.
Yeah, they tried to portray Danni as this absolute worst character, but her co-workers weren't any better. Just cause they are part of the alphabet club doesn't make them any better.
Besides, that white privilege thing is a bunch of crap, everyone can be successful if they work for it and stop acting like the victim. There's good and bad people in every gender, race, sexual identity, or nationality. Hate when people generalize.
I love how messy the character is. It’s refreshing to have a morally ambiguous woman at last!
She wasn't morally ambiguous she was entirely selfish
i wouldn’t call her morally ambiguous, it’s more like you understand why she does what she does but you’re not supposed to accept or defend her. you just understand she has issues and shes done really shitty/selfish things that negatively affected others.
@@janhurst544 well we do enjoy fkaws don’t worry
Idk from this review I felt bad for her. Seems like she’s unable to access help or acknowledgement from whatever it is that she’s been through. People can get really desperate at that point, and I’ve always felt more sorry for characters like Bojack Horseman (who has done far worse than this character) and hurt others accidentally through a desperate need for validation (as opposed to characters that are truly sadistic or have a mean streak.) Sometimes the more urgent wound gets treated immediately, the less severe wound can become infected and poison the body if ignored.
Go watch Gone Girl if you haven’t seen it 😉
I think one of the few things I would change about the movie is how the "lie" came to surface. It irked me that it was only ONE person who didn't believe her and put two and two together (and only discovered it because she left her personal laptop open which...c'mon. No one in their right mind would do that). I think it would have been better to have a small group of "trolls" doubting her online then having it build up and maybe even her trying to address all of them until her story starts to have bigger holes in it and her co-workers and Rowan start to question her on these things that don't make sense until the whole story falls apart. I feel that would be more "realistic" and we'd get to see how far she is willing to press the lie to get what she wants.
that's so true!
good point! most influencers/celebs are exposed by trolls online or people they interacted with for a short period of time
That would have been better! But I’m okay with the coworker plot yk
I haven't seen the film but its kinda funny hearing that the outfits the protagonist wore are dated. I'm not from America or Europe and here the majority of the population still where skinny jeans. So I'm always amused when I hear people talking about how fast trends are moving when the majority of the population has the same style here lol
Video recommendation: Fast fashion an issue of the developed world
I mean I feel like the trend cycle does move fast but people are not able to keep up with it at all. So I don’t know how valid it is to say that clothes are dated. The only people who can keep up with that are people with money and influencers. Lol
@@youwomanyou yeah most people can’t keep up because we don’t have the money to do that. It’s very wasteful to go move with the trend cycles.
this is part of the satire of this type of character/person
Same, people in my country are only starting to use flare jeans this year. I mean I still own skinny jeans and a lot of teens and young adults are also using them and nobody would make fun of them for using that style, which is a thing that It seems to happen on USA. For example I was in shock when someone told me that if you don't own an Iphone people will perceive you as poor even though a lot of Android phones are expensive.
@@anacastrodavila2689 that’s defiantly not all America just the regions where fast fashion is prevalent like LA. Where I’m at people could give a shit what you wear.
i think the way they showed the character of colin is brilliant because its a commentary on how white people use stereotypes of black people to get ahead. colin uses what he thinks is aave, dresses like a stereotype and acts like it too. i think they did more than just portray a fuckboy with him.
Right! For him, it’s an act that he’s aware of. He’s get his money by being that smoking, dude who kind of codes everything he does, especially with his blaccent. (Thanks for saying what he thinks is AAVE, it’s never an actual representation of how we speak because black people aren’t a monolith… but I digress. I just appreciate you saying that(: )
Sooo many influencers have had come ups this way, and it’s interesting to me because I’m not entirely sure what it means. You can have three thousand black girls dancing creatively and then a white girl does the same dance (which is fine! That’s not the argument. Dance is dance) and then adds “AAVE” on top of it and she’s the one who gets the spotlight.
Almost like a black girl w purple and blue hair would be called ghetto, looked down upon while w white girl with purple and blue hair is seen as creative, edgy, artistic, expressive!
Tbh I think appreciation should be encouraged. All cultures should share, learn. But you notice that some people (it can be found across every race) will mimic and even take/appropriate and have absolutely no respect or care for the people that it comes from. By all means, listen to our music, enjoy our food, please. But don’t mock our voices or pigeonhole or think you know who we are what we go through from what you see on music videos and the like. Idk🙍🏾♀️
@@godiswithyou.5358 100%!! there is a huge difference between apropriation and appreciation. also the same you mentioned with a white girl being praised for the things that a black girl pioneered is exactly what is happening with the clean girl aesthetic right now... its like we never learn...🤦♀️
I think Rowan served as a grounding element in what could have been an overly cheesy or cringey movie. She reminded the audience of the gravity of the situation and that this story is set in the real world. Don't Look Up would have benefitted from a character like that to balance out the satire, because that movie came off as condescending rather than critical.
Colin's character reminds me of countless privileged white guys I know from school. The way they desperately attempt to emulate African American musicians for social credibility is laughable. I avoid them like the plague.
Their forced use of aave is bizarre
he was the cringiest character
That’s why Harper said “you’re from Maine.” 😭😭
its not as common for white guys to try and emulate aa musicians as it is for white girls to copy black women.
@@toebag4286I just laugh at them.
I feel like Not Okay did pretty well in representing internet culture in a way that was accurate and not out of touch in how the internet is used to day. It also highlighted the theme of Clout Chasers and the extent to which Clout chasing is detrimental to the person who is looking for Clout as currency. Also I feel like the film speaks to the need for community again which Dani lacks in a highly individualised society. Love this Video and the Critque, Modern Gurlz is one of my favourite channels.
I think it's a great point that she doesn't learn from the backlash bc ultimately I don't think doxxing and that sort of behavior is actually something that teaches people at all. I feel like online backlash is often just an outlet for people's aggression in a "justified" way, the goal isn't actually to teach someone a lesson
Yh, I wish more ppl understood this. And it can also add to the reason of why I don't like some of the stuff ppl say when they're giving backlash to an influencer or celeb. Like I understand yr upset and I think it's fine to comment and express yr anger but there is a line that I don't agree with crossing. Ik the person may have done sum bad but I just don't agree with crossing that line because what ppl say sometimes are rlly horrible and can go beyond what the person did. One of the worst things wld be death threats.
it feels like the “message” of this movie REALLY went over people’s head
@@ROZWBRAZEL well for once all of the things this video talked about calling out or at least mock (in a kinda subtle way) white girls, white boys, millennials gen z ers who keep talking all this big words supporting all these causes without any real reason other than getting cloud or being scared of getting called out (cancelled) that quiets down other voices, (mostly poc voices) who actually care because their life depends on it, their rights depend on it and is not just some trend they can forget and move on from is their life.
and is definitely NOT dylan o’brien the fact that most of the commentary of this movie is about him, make it all about him and his name was the most talked about is disgusting and disappointing
@@danic9643 honestly, the only reason I knew about this movie was bc of that one bathroom scene from some tiktok, but like, that's the most irrelevant part of it
When you said that Rowan's character feels like should be part of other kind of movie (like a drama) I think that's the point, we as society should put more Rowan's in the Spotlight listen the voice of reason instead the "colin's" and "danni's" of the world get the views and attention for one or other reason.
no, exactly! Rowan has the real-world outlook and problems which is jarring to see in contrast to Danni's self-made problems. It shows people like this do exist in our world, completely out of touch of reality and actual trauma due to privileges, which if you end up meeting them in person irl, you would think how cartoonish (for a lack of a better word) they are. i think it was a purposeful juxtaposition on Danni's desire to be tormented for attention vs those who live that raw, unfiltered reality like Rowan
I think Rowan being such a strong tonal shift works. A lot of the comedy is partially rooted in the absurdity of it all. The shallow interviews, the commodification of the struggle, the fact that "You're the girl from the Paris bombing" is tossed out so casually as a way to identify her. Rowan being there really properly roots just how much of a problem Danni's lie truly is and just what kind of trauma is being commodified. I feel like trying to bring Rowan's portions of the film to the comedic level of the rest of the film would take away from that. Scenes like her hyperventilating during a lockdown drill or having panic attack when hearing the firecrackers probably wouldn't hit as hard emotionally. It would probably be similar to the scenes with the unhoused person. Her not fitting speaks to just how incongruent these situations are.
danni’s outfits except for her at-home, pajama-loungewear stuff all seemed very much like costumes. they all looked awkward and forced. like she looks like shes mimicking trends she doesnt care about because she wants people to think shes trendy and cool. very much the energy of someone who’s terrified of being called cheugy
I liked the end, she understood and grow enoug to quietly remove herself of a situation, kind of a message for a similar influencers: let the voices that truly need to be heard have the attention
I feel like Zoey Deutch is always starring in films that are almost brilliant but then end up being too trite or esoteric to make a mark. She's definitely poised to be the indie actress in the next few years.
I liked the movie okay. Your review definitely makes me see its fashion influence which warms to to it slightly. Still the movie left me generally unsatisfied.
Ya, like you can see why she signed up for the movie because the premise is promising and the execution is almost there but ultimately feels like an empty snack - satisfying at the time but not filling or nutritious...
You worded it perfectly in regards to Zoey. I hope she can get roles in great indie films since I love her acting, like there is a certain charm to her and I've been wondering why she's not a bigger name.
agree. She was an MC in the first (and last) installment of Vampire Academy which was based on the series of YA books. A solid peace for a franchise, but the text adaptation failed miserably.
I honestly glad the film took more time to develop Rowan and Danny relationship because it made the fallout even much more brutal at the end to witness
I personally enjoyed all the 2020 and late 2010 references it was done pretty tastefully and it feels sooo refreshing watching a movie that doesn’t have 80s references
Same like sometimes it's just nice to have media that's not catering to people 30+ years older than me
as a non american i am always shocked when they say her clothes are dated or out of fashion because here in mexico they are still considerded trendy, just goes to show how different consumerism is from one country to another
ngl I went in not thinking I would like this movie, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. I say give it a try!
Mia Issac as Rowan was my favorite part about this movie. she was so good to the point i thought Rowan was a real person for a sec
Agreed, really hope her performance helps her put her on the map.
People keep pointing out how dated Danni looks and using that as evidence of a quickening trend cycle or a lack of a defining look for our generation. Don’t really agree with either. I mean, the trend cycle has definitely picked up the pace but I don’t think that’s the reason we dislike Danni’s fashion choices
By far the most notable things about the 2020s are a few things- outrageous makeup, nontraditional dyed hairstyles, strategically ripped clothing, and of course, Y2K. Danni is wearing pieces that were specifically popular in 2020 and didn’t have much staying power. Feel like that says more about Danni’s lack of personal style than anything else. We could’ve easily gotten looks that scream 2020s and would still be considered "on trend" today.
But honestly lol I don’t think she looks all that dated? I’ve seen some of those exact outfits still get pretty popular on Tiktok. Tons of girls are still dyeing the front two strands of their hair. Plenty of both online and physical stores are carrying those exact same styles. I somewhat believe that one of the reasons we think it’s dated is because her outfits aren’t considered super stylish/pleasing to look at to begin with. We don’t see anything unique, anything that looks like Danni put some thought into the outfit. Most other characters or influencers that you might enjoy the clothing from have some sort of twist that makes it feel specific to them. Danni completely lacks that
That's true. Danni has no individuality. Her style is a mix of different trends. Mixing different trends can work. But the pieces and Danni's hair come from different styles and subcultures. Her outfits don't look cohesive. She's following too many trends. And has no personal touch.
Yeah, it took me by surprise that people think what she wore was dated. I feel this is the Y2K nostalgia that is continuously popular on 2022.... But again, I'm no fashion expert
@@linamarea2000 none of the looks Danni was wearing were y2k inspired. They were from different trends of 2020. It looks dated because they weren't styled properly. And Danni was following too many trends. With no individuality of her own. Her outfits don't look cohesive. Which was the point. But she could have chosen one trend and styled around that. Or have her own personal style.
How was anything trending in 2020 when we were all locked at home?
@@ziggystardusk6629 fashion trends don't stop even when everyone was staying at home in 2020. Even the pandemic influenced fashion trends. There was a rise in sales of sweat suits back in 2020 due to everyone staying at home. And everyone wore their nice outfits to take photos for IG or to go out for errands. Plus everyone was online shopping during the pandemic. Trends are caused by different factors. Class, economy, practicality, etc.
I enjoyed this movie so much! And I'm a Gen Z, I actually think the fashion fits 2022 fashion, I mean even if it's "so 2020", that was 2 years ago!
Hi! I agree with you since I have seen people dressed in my area around the same way that Danni does. But I guess that depends on what area that you live and see on Social Media. what would be the current trends of 2022? So far I have seen The Clean Girl Aesthetic/“That Girl” Ballet Girl Aesthetic,Tumblr Girl Aesthetic,Y2K/2000s aesthetic.
It's interesting how you bring up the costuming- I am not fashion conscious and still wear clothes that are years old, yet I felt something looked "off" about what Danni was wearing. I couldn't place it because in my head I recognized some of those outfits as things my younger sister wore, but Danni did make it seem "old" (although I really loved that sweater vest and might buy one for myself now!). You brought it up and it makes total sense how these trends faded so fast to the point it makes it come off as dated. Crazy to think of how some of these trends are gone real quick.
Ppl still dress like this in my school this is only happening to influencers and rich ppl hell I even wanted my hair like that a month ago but don’t worry bc 20 yrs from now all the micro trends are gonna bleed/blend in together so ppl will have a conclusion of what the 2020s fashion was like if that makes sense
most people in real life still dress like this. most people are not switching and can’t afford to switch their entire wardrobe within the span of 2 years. phone charms, argyle rompers, colored french tips, and chunky platforms are all very much still trendy.
This film was probably the most disturbing film I’ve seen all year. It reminded me of Alicia Esteve Head who pretended to be a 9/11 survivor. She also was not at the attacks but attended support groups and got fame in the media for her fake trauma. I felt like Danni mentioning 9/11 fomo was a direct reference to Head. I really enjoyed this film despite it being so hard to watch. I do agree that the film could of gone into more depth and your criticism was spot on. I think this film could of used another draft but overall it was still worth watching.
Some people have called this a female “Dear Evan Hanson.” But when I watched Amanda the Jedi do a review on this movie and I like how she said that it wasn’t a DEH because DEH makes us try to sympathize with Evan, vs Danni we know we don’t like her, and I like how it ended with a “I didn’t get a redemption arc”
The voice change 14:33 - 14:45 gets me every time 🤣🤣🤣 Dylan O’Brien crushed this role!
It made me genuinely laugh out loud💀🤚🏾 I was like noooo way
I went into it not knowing and expecting much but I really liked it. It was so ridiculous at times but sadly so accurate!
i hate the way she dresses so much, which is why the costume design for this character is so perfect
Literally was just looking for a review on this the other day but I was surprised coz no one seems to talk about it like at all. So I'm so so glad u're doing it and I finally get to learn other people's thoughts and opinions. I, for one, did not expect to like it as much as I did. Spoiler warning: The ending in particular rlly sold me on the film honestly. Rowan saying she might forgive Dani someday but that their relationship will never even remotely come close to becoming okay is just the perfect end for their friendship imo and it's way more realistic than them becoming friends again after everything Dani did. It was v satisfying and makes u walk away with the lesson that betraying someone's trust is not only ireversable but sometimes even irredeemable too.
Omg me too!! I’m glad Not Okay was reviewed on this channel !! I also totally agree with you abt the ending showing how betraying someones trust is irreversible/irredeemable mostly bc I always expect characters to make up and go back to being friends :( this was refreshing//a nice change of pace for me lol
i agree with the ending online support group scene that it should've been a scene where dani literally did not speak a word and the other members pointed out where they went wrong, got hate, and what they learned from it, making dani having an obvious realization moment but without the "on the nose" dialogue.
did you guys SEE where danni’s parents LIVED? IN NEW YORK? danni even said to harper that her parents can buy her a house in soho or miami to keep her shush about her secret. it’s beyond me why she didn’t ask her parents for a ticket to Paris and keep the fake whole writers retreat thing 🤦🏻♀️
I don't think her parents liked her lmaooo
She did ask, but I guess they didn't wanna spoil her or something?
She was kinda trying to tell them, that she did it on her own.
Is it just me or was it an ‘Emily in Paris’ Parody? You know which look I’m talking about.
I love unreliable narrators and I appreciated that it ended without any "and then she becomes a good person/learns her lesson arc"
On unlikable female characters: I watched a video once where a guy was talking about musicals, and he mentioned not liking Chicago at first because he felt like there was no one to root for. He talked about it with some people who told him that was intentional, and sort of the point of the movie, and it made him go back and re-examine it, and he came around to liking it.
Props to that guy for keeping an open mind and changing his opinion when given new information, but it is sort of startling to me that someone could watch Chicago and not realize Roxy is unlikable on purpose. They make her as awful as they can with no redemption whatsoever. I think a lot of it is that it's so entirely rare to have this type of character in media, we're just waiting for the missing puzzle piece that makes us feel sorry for them.
Yeah, and I believe that's the reason why a lot of people try to empathize with pieces of media that portrays real life killers and molesters. It's like everyone searches for a reason to like the protagonists, even when there are cases where there's literally no form to do so
honestly, i liked the fact that danni learnt nothing from her lying and that she didn’t make up with rowan at the end of the movie; it seems more realistic
how so? please let me know hahaha I'm interested
A month after Danni comes clean about the lie, she goes to Rowan's talent show to apologize to her and sees Rowan's poem was about how she wants nothing to do with Danni anymore and doesn't want to salvage a relationship that was based on a lie and being used. Danni realizes making up with Rowan would only be for her own gain and leaves the auditorium without even talking to Rowan.
The movie just feels like surface level critique and satire. It lacks the edge. I agree that it should have pushed more to the extreme and maybe gone darker like 'Jawbreakers'.
Although I understand today's audiences are somewhat lazy/trained in their need for clear black&white, I actually think "surface level" is this movie's strength.
Satire is usually initially perceived more comedic than dark (until you give it a second thought). It is definitely less on the nose (think of all the fooled commenters on an average The Onion post).
We have seen over the top dark. We have seen confrontational critique. This "edgeless" narrative is most realistic to me, however. You might walk away from this movie entertained, until you look around you and see that it's not that funny at all.
This girl could be anyone (although most are better at hiding self-centeredness). Will she learn from her mistakes? Probably not. Many influencers haven't. That's the uncomfortable reality we live in, without the dark and satisfying pay-off.
i don’t think it’s surface level especially in the scenes rowan is in. this feels realistic to our current day issues and i feel like if it was more dramatized, the message that it had would have to change completely.
It's not completely surface-level
Doesn't need to be edgy? Lol
@@merry_christmas Yeah. But i feel like it could have definitely pushed the edge more. Like even stuff like heathers. Comedy often can work really well for dark stuff, if used right. It just felt like every other 'modern critique/satire' movies nowadays
I think the unlikable women characters that are chosen to be represented on movie also have qualities that society typically looks down on - entitledness, vapidness, silliness etc - so it's easy to 'object' to such movies.. we could argue that similar male protagonist movies aren't criticised as much, but they aren't lauded too.
The difference I think is, male unlikable characters have a variety to them, and complex characterisation, whereas female unlikable characters don't have that complexity. Where is the movie about a matriarch who's ambitious and puts her own family above everything else. Movies like those, like Black Swan or The Novice, they ARE appreciated because the characters and their motivations are complex, they just aren't as many as male characters afforded that privilege.
I liked this movie, I do see few ppl like the protagonist in real life, and just because the character is unlikable doesn't mean there can't be a story, especially when there is commentary and specific points of view involved
Also, I actually liked Rowan because real life has become a farce like that, especially when you're on like Instagram. As you swipe down, you'll see real life and serious issues interspersed with superficial, prank posts so there's very real whiplash on social media, the people and their content. I thought it showed that dichotomy very well, when they're both interacting with each other, like one character feels like a shallow cartoon and the other like a real, flesh and blood person..
Your take on the fashion and the main character / O'Brien's character are perfect!
I loved this movie, to be honest. I feel like it was such good commentary on influencer culture and the ending was well done. I totally see where you're coming from though and I so agree with you on your critiques with Collins character. It would've been SO interesting seeing him have an internet scandal of his own but not being cancelled for it.
i've also been so excited to see you go over the costumes in this so u could imagine the happiness on my face when i saw this video was posted
Dylan O'Brien in Bleach blonde hair is 🔥🔥🔥
He really sells the role. I would love to see him do more of these edgier and darker roles and shed the persona of 'funny character with witty quips' that he's known for
TRUE THAT! They should have used him more too like she said his character would have been more interesting if he had more of a storyline too then just being the D-bag. I do love his outfits though they were just too much funny I hope he got to keep some of the outfits.
yeaaa i dont trust ppl who dont like this movie (depending on their reasons). I think its absolutely ridiculous how ppl are saying the fashion was outdated...as if the vast majority of 'influencers' dont wear this on a regular basis, and as if this style was from 1950 or smth. A lot of ppl are saying everything is cringy even tho the whole movie is legit poking fun at millennials and Gen Z and how they act (especially on social media). The message was great, the main character was great - the ending was amazing and the message of the speech at the end by Rowan was soooo good - pointing out the fact that white ppl take credit, spotlight, and attention from BIPOC, how scammers often get more attention in media than victims, the concept of forgiveness, and more.
I agree 💯
One thing that I really liked about this movie that nobody’s really touched on is Danni’s name. *Danni Sanders* is a name you’d really only hear on the internet. This is a really weird comparison to make but it kind of reminded me of Casey Anthony. Both Danni and Casey are unisex names, so it kinda leaves this ambiguity there of this ominous figure
@last stop before kokomo yeah, I agree. her name echoes the names of other famous tiktokers like Addison Rae and Dixie D'Amelio
I liked this movie, I thought they did try to show the audience’s role in social media culture in the beginning. Danni blows up in part by stealing Rowan’s words and watering them down but also by writing an article that doesn’t talk about her trauma, partly bc she didn’t live it, instead she encourages the audience to think about themselves and why they’re “not okay” so she gets famous because she gave everyone a pass to be as narcissistic as her. I agree tho in her downfall it wasn’t as flushed out as it could have been, maybe if her coworker had ratted her out and wrote a piece about how she lied and why she got famous it could have rounded that out better bc like you said it also would have repeated the cycle in a way.
What I really liked about the movie was it reminded me about the story of Tania head, The woman who lied and wasn’t even in the country when “surviving” 9/11 and became like the face of the survivors disaster she did wonderful work for the survivors but she lied and she let the fame go to her head.
Personally, I really liked the movie. It was like a mix of ‘Emily in Paris’, ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, and ‘The Woman Who Wasn’t There’ with a little more self awareness. But I agree with you on how some themes and topics that were in the film were just touched upon the surface level of them. I feel that the issues could have been fixed with maybe 10 to 20 more minutes of screen time to further elaborate on the topics discussed and have the ending kind of stay the same.
At one point, the movie actually did somewhat show the people that supported her became her haters. Nearly everyone in the opening portion about hating on her/docking her were shown during the #Notokay montage of supporters
I loved the movie and the ending, there was cringey scenes and moments but that's the point, its so modern and is like what the internet is now😭
Dylan O’Brien is chaotic, cool and funny but THAT BLONDE LEWK THOUGH! DECEASED 🔥
Omg. Idk how but i keep seeing you everywhere. First sortedfood and now here. We watch quite a lot of similar stuff lol
@@iusedtowrite6667 Happy to see you here!
Not okay is such a good movie. The in the movie social commentary is so good.
I surprisingly really enjoyed this movie. I thought I wouldn’t, but i did!
Yes same here !
Lol I loved this movie 👉👈 honestly loved the unlikable female protagonist and think there should be more of them. Society puts unreal pressure on women to be perfect physically, emotionally, morally and why not just be valued as a flawed human trying to figure it out in a society that’s literally no better and also just trying to figure things out. Gives more tiny reckless female villain (Ana Delvey-ish) vibes, which I appreciate.
"colin you’re from maine" is so iconic
I personally loved this movie, 5 stars, particularly for its fashion storytelling and phenomenal ending.
the brilliance of the film is in not providing Danni a platform for her redemption whether she’s learned anything or not, because she’s not the main character of this story; Rowan is.
I was really impressed by the ending of the movie and how there really was not a redemption arc the way the movie promised. And how it ended with Rowan.
that's so interesting about the female protagonist, and patrick bateman, the joker, jordan belfort, even the guy from taxi driver or night crawler being revered!
Yes great point!
i love unlikable women on tv and films, danni, rob from high fidelity, sophia from girl boss... i'm so tired of the rory gilmores where the character is "too much" of the main character. everybody loves them, they are perfect and everybody seens to be oblivious of their mistakes and flaws.
KEEP THEM COMING!
also shiv roy from succession
i agree, i'm tired of the idea that the main character has to be relatable enough to the audience, because that just creates characters that are more bland and samey
I found this movie really hard to watch in a second hand embarrassment kind of way, and since Danni was a very unlikable protagonist I wasn't invested in her scheme and therefore the movie. I would've liked if they showed how her lies affected the people who actually experienced trauma or specifically, the bombing that Danni is lying about.
they didn’t show how her lies affected those in the bombing specifically, but they did show how it affected rowan, someone who danni related to through shared experiences in traumatic situations. the poem at the end of the movie is a very good example of this.
this is what was missing for me. seeing how her scam impacted the people who were actually traumatized by the bombing.
Girl you always hit content right on the head - the script alone inspires me to be a better writer
man I didn't expect the plot of this movie to be "the woman who wasn't there" for this generation 😳 I'm gonna pause this vid and come back once I've watched it I'm intrigued lol
I enjoyed the movie for what it was and thought it did a good job with the themes it tackled. I liked that Danni didn’t get redeemed and that she openly admits she doesn’t know if she learned anything. I like that she didn’t apologize to Rowan because the apology wouldn’t have been for Rowan’s sake, but Danni’s. The self aware moment she (Danni) has after watching Rowan’s performance at the end of the film does give a glimpse that Danni may be on the right track to not necessarily being a good person, just a far less shitty one. I do agree that opportunities were missed, especially when it came to how women are treated after a scandal verse how men are.
Loved the video and your thoughts on this movie. Not Okay was, well, okay.
I absolutely love your fashion breakdowns and how they mirror the character’s mental state! My fingers are crossed for a breakdown of Joy’s style from Everything Everywhere All at Once!
I came here to say, GUINEA WEASLEY DID NOTHING WRONG we love a photoshop savant in this house
I'm gonna be honest, I don't think calling this film a satire like so many people have been is really doing it a service? Like outside of Colin the film is fairly straight forward, and I feel like the expectation of it being more comedic kinda hurt the movie more for other people than it did myself. I wasn't really laughing most of the movie, and I knew nothing about it going in so I didn't expect it to be a comedy. It made the more serious moments with Rowan feel more natural and in general I felt kept the film grounded and not really satirical. Like you said, it's very on the nose and that's because it's just real. Stuff like this does happen all the time, and there is no clean resolution in real life. I think it's less meant to be "laugh at how absurd Gen Zenniell culture is" like so many other influencer movies are and more "this is a genuine issue in our culture, and we should really be thinking about why this happens so often and what the people perpetrating these culture vulture moments are actually feeling when they do it." That's just my perspective though.
I like the fashion in this because compared to Emily in Paris the clothes makes danni seem like a character of a girl in 2020 like how she is playing a character of a victim of an attack in paris
Your commentary is always top notch. I love your channel so much!! ❤
August 10th, 2022
I’m so glad u complimented Zoey Deutch’s acting!! I think she’s a wonderful actress tbh
Your ideas on ignorance, privilege, and parasocial relationships being better portrayed for this film were rlly cool!!
13:25 so true!! I don’t want to be like this. I want to have a strong sense of self.
14:46 Everytime I see a good movie I always say it’s revolutionary damn 💀 but totally agree !! also now I know what amalgamation means lol ; I couldn’t really see the potential like you did but I’m glad u opened my mind up bc I rarely think of movie ending/plot alternatives
I loved this movie sm more then i thought i would
Like the fashion of this show or not, it's so satisfying to see a movie which understands the time they're trying to replicate and does it wonderfully. Other than euphoria, I haven't seen that many shows that put so much attention on making sure their fashion represents current trends. Even the little details like the green powerpuff girls heart case that was crazy popular back in 2020, the dyed front streaks, the colorful jewelry. It looks exactly how I would describe the fashion of 2020, at least for influencers. Will it become dated as hell? Yes, but I will still appreciate what it acheived
I loved this movie, I also would’ve liked to see Colin’s character explored a bit more but I think there was so much going on with the main plot and Danni that it made sense to leave Colin as more of a secondary character, but he was still portrayed as strongly unlikeable and the audience got to form an opinion about why he was unlikeable.
When Colin first came out in the movie out of his office in that orange shirt he had sunglasses on and it was his first appearance in the movie I seriously thought it was Pete Davidson
Then Dylan played his character well. It's hard to play a character like that from being a great likeable actor.
shamelessly disregarding any topics of substance; what i don't get is why the girlies are freaking out over dylan with this hair/look, and making it seem like he's better looking than with his natural hair and clothes etc...... i don't get it at all
Costume design was really good for all the character.
Yay!!! I was wondering if you were ever gonna do a video on this movie!!!
I love these reviews and was intrigued by this movie, so thanks for reviewing it.
I disagree with the idea that Danny needed more consequences, while she's clearly also sorry that she got caught, she was shown to already start feeling guilty about her actions before that, because honestly what else can you really do to her? She got FIRED, DOXXED, and PUBLICLY SHAMED, what she did was awful but I wouldn't want her to be hung at a witches trial or anything
i have been WAITING for a video on this film yayyyy
How is these outfits dated?! The fashion cycle is so fast I can't even keep up 😭😭😭
as soon as i was watching this movie, i knew i wanted to see your take on it! awesome video :)
I’m really curious what you said about Collins fashion, I think the hype beast look was so interesting for his character
A lot of people are gonna watch this and not like it because it reminds them too much of themselves lol
I feel so bad for Rowen, but she had to know.
Thank you Harper.
I think the craziest most expected thing about this movie is that as soon as I finished I went to Twitter to see peoples hot takes and instead it was just people thirsting over Dylan O’Brien
I think the ending suits her character. Danni's desire was to be accepted, so being rejected and humiliated (both online and in person) so badly is her worst fear come to life
This movie is like a time capsule of 2021 trends and pop culture in general I love that for this flim but for something timeless maybe not its strengths but hey I love 2021 amd I love this movie
I need a breakdown of the people in the Shaming support group.
I recognize the girl in the Daddy hat, but I can't place the others.
I think one of them was supposed to be the stereotypical Karen and I think I saw a chair reserved for Kendall Jenner
Hope you know how talented you are, I love love LOVE your videos x
I haven't seen the movie, but I love the 2000s trends. I think that the trend will never get old
Tons of people still dress like that, just not on social media so much anymore. It’s not dated, it’s just not preempting trends
I personally really liked the movie, because since Blame, I was really looking forward for another movie directed by Quinn.
What I understood about the ending was that Dani wanted to apologize to Rowan, in part because she wanted to feel better about herself, but after Rowan’s poem, she learned that maybe she didn’t deserved that.
Also, in one hand I think they could’ve utilized Dylan a bit more, I agree with the point that they could have explored the parallels between the public’s expectation of male and female influencers. But in the other hand, I think a lot of people ONLY focused on Dylan being there, rather than actually understanding his character
The thing about accepting Tyler Durden and the America Psycho guy despite the fact that they are unlikable is that THEY LIKE HIM THEY LOVE HIM STRIVE TO BE LIKE HIM its not despite its because