Credit: Not Okay
The satirical black comedy film Not Okay, written and directed by Quinn Shephard, was released on the streaming platform Hulu last July 29, 2022. The film stars Zoey Deutch, Mia Isaac, Nadia Alexander, Embeth Davidtz, Karan Soni, and Dylan O’Brien. It follows Danni Sanders, a young aspiring writer working for an online magazine. In her efforts to gain a following on social media, she lies about a trip to Paris and uses her photo editing skills to fake her photos. However, this lie becomes much more significant when she is mistaken for a survivor of a terrorist attack in Paris.
Credit: Not Okay
The New York Times published a review of the film and wrote, “As satires go, this one by the writer and director Quinn Shephard is hardly subtle — but though it lacks narrative finesse, “Not Okay” is brimming with provocative in-jokes for the extremely online.” IndieWire also wrote a review of the film giving particular praise to Shephard’s direction, saying, “Shephard isn’t afraid to ask thorny questions about “unlikable” people and the societies that both adore and reject them. That’s not a world with easy answers, and Shephard doesn’t offer any, but she has something better: movies that make you laugh, make you think, and make you — just maybe — reflect on where you fit into them.”
Credit: Not Okay
If you enjoyed watching Not Okay, here are five movies that also tackle issues about social media use and influencer culture.
Ingrid Goes West
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The 2017 American black comedy-drama film Ingrid Goes West, directed by Matt Spicer and written by Spicer and David Branson Smith, centers on an unhinged young woman who moves to Los Angeles to meet and befriend a social media influencer named Taylor Sloane, who she idolizes. The film stars Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, Billy Magnussen, Wyatt Russell, Pom Klementieff, and O’Shea Jackson Jr. The film received positive reviews, particularly praise for its script, humor, and performances.
In a review by Rolling Stone, they wrote, “Ingrid Goes West puts us on a digital platform to hell, showing us a nightmare world of Insta-obsessives that’s all too recognizable as our own.” The New York Times also published a review of the film praising Plaza’s performance, saying, “Ms. Plaza is a whiz with timing and does a deft job of shifting viewers’ sympathy; her character can be loathsome or pathetic depending on the scene”
Sweat
Sweat is a 2020 Polish-Swedish drama film written and directed by Magnus von Horn. Similar to Not Okay, the film’s plot centers on social media fame and it stars Magdalena Kolesnik, Julian Swiezewski, Aleksandra Konieczna and Zbigniew Zamachowski. The film follows a fitness influencer with a big following on social media. As her following grows and she becomes more famous, she starts feeling more pressure and confronting her inner demons and biggest insecurities.
Brittany Runs A Marathon
Brittany Runs a Marathon is a 2019 American comedy film written and directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo, in his directorial debut. Just like the protagonist of Not Okay, Brittany decides to make a change in her life, although she is definitely more likable than Not Okay‘s Danni Sanders. It stars Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, and Micah Stock. The film follows a woman whose partying lifestyle changes after a doctor’s appointment reveals how unhealthy she is. She decides to live a healthier lifestyle, and with losing weight as one of her goals, she decides to compete in the New York City Marathon. The plot centers on her journey to prepare for the said marathon.
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