Netflix loves its teen, YA originals; the entire genre and phenomenon, and all the (sometimes melo)drama found within coming of age stories. And the streaming giant loves to blend YA with supernatural qualities thanks to the success of “Stranger Things” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” greenlighting many shows (like “Locke & Key”) since then. Yet, while the new Netflix series “I Am Not Okay With This” employs the ‘80s film hallmarks of John Hughes films—teen angst, irreverent comedy, and genuine adolescent emotional pain—like most of these similar YA shows, creators Jonathan Entwistle and Christy Hall add a twist in healthy dose of mystery and superpowers, resulting in a Netflix original that will delight, surprise, and evoke some genuine emotions from its viewers.
Inevitably, it sounds like a riff on “Stranger Things” superficially —young actors that actually sound and look representational of the characters they play, grappling with authentic issues, and featuring a cool soundtrack to boot. What makes it different and far superior, is its truthful emotional quality that doesn’t feel like it’s just set dressing for a third act set piece with a Demogorgon.
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While the ‘80s-esque teen comedy outer shell is likely enough to attract plenty of casual viewers, what will keep people invested is how “I’m Not Okay With This” offers a poignant emotional heart and soul that isn’t found in most attempts at regurgitating the supernatural/coming of age formula.
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In unremarkable small-town Pennsylvania, Sydney Novak (rising star Sophia Lillis from “It” and “Sharp Objects”) is going through some shit. Her father killed himself less than a year ago. Her best (and only) friend, Dina (Sofia Bryant), is hooking up with the asshole jock, Brad (Richard Ellis). Her mom (Kathleen Rose Perkins) is working 60 hours a week at a diner, leaving the teenage girl to take care of her eccentric little brother. The only person who still wants to hang out is the weirdo teen drug dealer a few houses down, Stan (Wyatt Oleff). And worst of all, she’s experiencing unexplained panic attacks that lead to telekinetic blasts that break things around her. Oh, and as a requirement from the school counselor, Syd is forced to keep a diary because all of these issues are causing the teenager to lash out with anger.
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Co-created by Jonathan Entwistle and Christy Hall (who also write and direct some key episodes), the entire series is narrated by Sydney through various diary entries, providing a narrative structure and allowing the audience to be inside her head at all times. “I Am Not Okay With This” takes us within her inner monologue as she experiences the ups and downs of high school and the terror that those destructive panic attacks inspire inside of her. While there’s some clunky exposition, the diary VO mainly gives Lillis time to shine as Sydney, convincingly presenting a troubled, emotional, multi-faceted teenage girl that would make John Hughes proud.
With each of the seven episodes clocking in around 20-ish minutes (the format that most of these streaming series should adopt, by the way), there isn’t much filler and there isn’t much time to sit and get to know each and every character that surrounds Sydney. However, through Lillis’ truly terrific performance, we’re given plenty of information about her world. Now, that doesn’t mean the rest of the cast isn’t great. For the most part, each young actor is able to make their characters multidimensional, even when the story doesn’t give them much to do. The standout amongst the supporting cast is clearly Oleff as Stan and by the end of the seven episodes, you’re going to find yourself loving him, back acne and all.
But the entire weight of “I Am Not Okay With This” rests on the shoulders of Lillis, and she more than rises to the occasion. The actress imbues Sydney with so much pathos just from her small stature, quiet looks, and short one-liners that it’s impossible for viewers to not want to root for this sensitive, misunderstood girl that the world views as weird. Better yet, she humanizes “weird,” instead of the caricature that often appears in teen dramedies.
This is where the superpowers come into play. Sydney’s erratic emotions and pent-up trauma, stemming from her father’s suicide, uncontrollably build inside of her. And every time she allows herself to feel this panicky anxiety, it manifests in increasingly powerful telekinetic bursts. Destruction ensues and sometimes family pets become collateral damage if Syd isn’t able to keep her emotions in check. And as everyone knows, caging the raw, vulnerable emotions of your hormonal teenage years isn’t very easy.
Compound anxiety, trauma, and isolation with the everyday struggles that face high schoolers in 2020 (romance, dances, friendships, detention, etc…) and you’ve got a character’s plight that is highly relatable—even if your issues don’t manifest themselves in violent psychic outbursts.
Co-creators Entwistle and Hall, aren’t interested in telling a story about a young superhero. Much to its benefit, the series is perfectly content to sit inside the brain of a teenage girl as she experiences loss, trauma, blossoming sexuality, and complicated friendships in completely honest ways, while keeping the supernatural stuff to a minimum. In fact, toss all the genre elements and the show still totally works.
Sure, there may or may not be evil forces working behind the scenes that will likely get explored in future seasons. But at the show’s core is the traumatized teen Sophia Lillis so wonderfully plays. And her performance as Sydney creates an honesty that helps make ‘Not Okay’ transcend above “Stranger Things” and shows of that ilk. This is a teen, coming-of-age dramedy first, and a superhero show second. Let’s just hope it stays that way. [B+]