Set to release on July 29th, Hulu’s new dark satirical comedy Not Okay portrays the consequences of a delusional influencer’s life through the perspective of an aspiring writer Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch). With the character earning fame after making false claims about surviving a terrorist attack in Paris, the movie will manifest the message behind social media as a double-edged sword and the problems regarding online clout.
While most cautionary social media movies take a horrific genre bent, Not Okay joins a fascinating collection of satirical social media comedies about the ups and downs of online influencer culture. From Ingrid Goes West to Eight Grade, many think twice about the consequences of making their next post.
Ingrid Goes West (2017)
Stream On Fubo
In Matt Spicer’s Ingrid Goes West, Aubrey Plaza plays one of her best roles as the social media obsessive Ingrid. After becoming infatuated with the glitzy lifestyle of Hollywood socialite Taylor Sloane (Elisabeth Olsen), she relocates to Los Angeles to become part of her social circle. Alas, Ingrid gets a rude awakening when she learns not everything posted on Instagram is what it seems.
Few films have been able to mine to deep illusory nature of curated online personalities like Ingrid Goes West, with the character sharing a lot of the same naïve and wrongheaded perspectives as Danni in Not Okay as it relates to fame and celebrity being an antidote for life’s ills. Both films also straddle the line of mordant dark comedy and suspenseful thriller without dipping into full genre conventions.
A Simple Favor (2018)
Stream On Peacock
Paul Feig’s dark satire A Simple Favor follows Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), a single parenting vlogger, who befriends a mysterious woman named Emily (Blake Lively) and starts using social media to investigate her sudden disappearance and uncover her real identity.
Like Not Okay and Ingrid Goes West, A Simple Favor has breezy thriller conventions but really keeps its aim on the mordantly salient commentary it makes on the fickle nature of online identity. It furthers this notion with the dangers of phony secret profiles and how putting oneself out to the public with the best intentions can come back to haunt them.
The Hater (2020)
Stream On Netflix
Jan Komasa’s The Hater is a Polish social thriller that, despite the lack of outright levity, is a must-see for those interested in the underlying message Not Okay makes about online influence and the loneliness it can lead to. The critically acclaimed movie concerns Tomasz, a disillusioned young man who attempts to find meaning and purpose in his life by spewing online vitriol.
It is a morally dubious character piece that makes viewers question the value of social media and the severe anxieties it can cause among wayward youngsters. The stylish thriller shows the consequences of how online lies can spiral out of control to the point of no return, something Danni knows all too well in Not Okay.
Mainstream (2020)
Stream On Fubo
Anchored by a volcanic turn by Andrew Garfield, Gia Coppola’s dark comedy Mainstream is another fascinating cautionary tale about the perils of internet fame, social media influence, and the negative fallout it can have. In one of his most underrated movies, Andrew Garfield plays Link, a bombastic showman who goes viral after YouTuber Frankie (Maya Hawke) films him ranting against technology in a mall, prompting the two to create his own online platform.
While uneven on the whole, the feverish performance by Garfield is something to behold, with Coppola and Tom Stewart’s script cleverly getting to the heart of the young “please, look at me” generation of self-aggrandized influencers and the dire consequences that can result when pushed too far. Danni in Not Okay can certainly relate to Frankie if not Link for platforming such a huckster.
Spree (2020)
Stream On Hulu
Eugene Kotlyarenko’s gonzo dark comedy Spree goes off the rails to use violent horror as a metaphoric warning against the negative effects of the internet and the pursuit of online fame. Joe Keery has a blast playing Kurt Kunkle, a fame-starved young man who uses his ridesharing gig to go violently viral.
Likened to “American Psycho for the digital age” by Collider, the dark satire may take things to the violent extremes to prove its point. But it plumbs the same cautionary material as Not Okay in the way it rebukes the nature of online mendacity and manipulation for personal popular gain.
Sweat (2020)
Stream On Mubi
Magnus von Horn’s critically adored Polish/Swedish drama Sweat follows Sylwia Zajac (Magdalena Kolesnik), a picture-perfect fitness instructor who has legions of social media followers but can’t quite make an intimate connection of her own. A fascinating glimpse at a narcissist longing for love in the wrong places, Sylwia and Danni have a lot in common relating to their isolated social media obsessions.
With unpredictable story twists that foster more sympathy for Sylwia along the way, Sweat evolves to become a thought-stirring, morally ambiguous tale about the ephemeral nature of online celebrity and how the insular bubble of social media followers can lead to shallow self-absorption.
Fresh (2022)
Stream On Hulu
Much like Spree, Mimi Cave’s dark comedic satire Fresh uses physical violence to exaggerate the underlying point the story makes about the modern-day perils of online dating and social media personas. Tired of the phoniness of online dating apps, Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) takes a chance on Steve (Sebastian Stan), a dashing stranger she meets in real life at a grocery store.
As Noa discovers Steve’s bizarre culinary predilections, the acclaimed Hulu original movie takes wildly insane twists and turns that reinforce the sheer absurdity of online dating and social media profiles, using extreme gore as an amusing allegory for the horrors that could abound if not careful. While taken to extremes, the overarching themes of Fresh and Not Okay are quite simpatico.
Eighth Grade (2018)
Stream On Fubo
Bo Burnham’s achingly-observed Eighth Grade uses social media popularity as a framing device to tell a tender must-see coming-of-age movie. Elsie Fisher gives a soul-crushing turn as Kayla Day, a shy middle schooler who spends hours pouring over social media and resorts to making personal vlogs to increase her popularity.
With an 89 Metascore and 99% Rotten Tomatoes rating, Eighth Grade is universally recognized as one of the most original, important, and well-acted examinations of how the need for young adolescents to be seen, felt, and heard by others can have profound ramifications – both good and bad. Not Okay fans who gravitate toward Danni’s plight will absolutely fall in love with Elsie in Eighth Grade.
Brittany Runs A Marathon (2019)
Stream On Amazon Prime Video
One of the most uplifting and feel-good movies about the effects of social media includes Brittany Runs A Marathon, a perfect antidote to the messaging in Not Okay. The story tracks Brittany (Jillian Bell), a New Yorker who decides to eschew her roommate Gretchen’s (Alice Lee) dream of achieving social media to make her own positive lifestyle changes.
As Brittany distances herself from Gretchen’s craven toxicity to become an influencer, she begins attending the gym, losing weight, getting sober and healthier, and sets out to push the limits of her self-improvement by running a marathon. Danni in Not Okay can learn a lot from Brittany in terms of realizing that true happiness comes from within not from public admirers.
The Influencer (2021)
Rent On iTunes
If one mixed Not Okay with The Bling Ring, the result may resemble the little-known comedic satire The Influencer. Written and directed by Meghan Weinstein, the movie traces Abbie Rose (Kasia Szarek), an online makeup artist and brand influencer famous for her on-camera tutorials. When the unethical makeup company Nutrocon attempts to acquire her videos, activists break into her house and expose the company’s sins, leaving Abbie in a moral bind.
A small, inventive indie with a lot to say about the potential consequences of seeking and achieving online fame, The Influencer and Not Okay aptly depict the positive and negative sides. This includes the impact of social media on young people longing to be admired by strangers and loved ones alike.
