Peyton Noreen
Reporter
Netflix’s I Am Not Okay With This marvelously combines all of the bingeable, engaging and relatable elements of a great series. While it may seem like another series filling the demand for a supernatural teen dramedy, Netflix made a momentous choice with the characters: giving us a gay female lead and a best friend who unapolegetically defies traditional masculinity.
The show follows a teenage girl, Syd, as she struggles with the death of her father, her emerging sexuality and newfound telekinetic powers. When Syd’s best friend Dina starts dating a popular football player, she feels bothered in a way that doesn’t seem normal. When Dina ditches her for a pep rally, Syd becomes friends with weird-kid Stanley, a casual pot dealer with an impeccable sense of style and offbeat taste in music.
As the story progresses, Syd’s powers grow stronger, paralleling her escalating insecurities and emotions. Everything builds to an explosive ending at the homecoming dance, leaving the show on a cliffhanger and ready to embrace a second season.
Episode one opens with a shot of Syd running from police, absolutely drenched in blood, and followed by a voiceover of her saying, “Dear Diary, go f**k yourself… just kidding”. From the first shot, I Am Not Okay With This sets a very self-aware, irreverent tone — something that stays consistent throughout.
The directing style of I Am Not Okay With This was very on-brand for teen Netflix shows these days. It’s that dully tinted, medium shot jumping to the next with a slightly obscure 80’s chorus accompanying it. The strength of this directing style, while it may not be the most interesting to look at, is that it lends itself to fantastic pacing. No episode feels slow or dragging, something refreshing in a show.
Did I mention the perfectly crafted soundtrack? I will definitely be grooving on this for weeks. In tandem with great song selections, the show created its own fictional indie band. Bloodwitch is responsible for nearly half of the music in the show, and yes, they are on Spotify.
The acting was adequate but I was in no way blown away by it. Lines were often delivered awkwardly, and actors seemed vacant at times. However, this didn’t seem to take away from the show at all. This world embraces teen clumsiness in a way that feels so familiar to all of us.
An irreverent tone combined with snappy editing, a well chosen soundtrack, and lovable characters makes I Am Not Okay With This quite a charming watch that I would 100% recommend. So if you’re looking for something to watch alone in your room between your online classes, this could be the show for you.
