I Am Not Okay With This

or “A Definitive Guide on How to Not Fall in Love with Your Best Friend”

Hey, it’s Lygie.

A few weeks ago we asked you if you’d like to see more content in English. You said yes. So here is our first piece entirely in English. Here’s hoping it won’t be the last.

I Am Not Okay With This is a short series based on the comic by Charles Forsman, which I definitely didn’t read. Forsman is also known for The End of the F***ing World (the comic book). It premiered on Netflix a couple of weeks ago, and was met with positive reviews.

One of the defining features of the show is its runtime — it has seven twenty-minute episodes so far. The whole thing comes up to about 2 and a half hours of high-intensity binging, if you’re into that. I mean, God knows I am.

The plot.

I Am Not Okay With This tells us the story of 17-year-old Sydney Novak. Sydney is a self-proclaimed “boring 17-year-old white girl”. She has a best friend who has boys issues, and there’s also “the weird kid” et cetera et cetera. However, one aspect that sets Sydney apart from the cast of Riverdale is that her father had killed himself under confusing circumstances. And if that wasn’t enough, Sydney also has the superpower which could adequately be described as angry telekinesis, and that drives the whole story forward. Awakenings ahoy!

Even though the main driving point of the plot is Sydney’s superpower and her coming to terms with it, I Am Not Okay With This is not a superhero show like The Boys or whatever it is CW’s up to these days. It focuses mainly on Sydney’s realisations about herself and the world, which are not limited to that.

The plot has numerous flaws but it does its job, especially considering the whole season isn’t even 3 hours long. I don’t want to spoil anything, so let’s just say that the story concludes fairly well, and we get a juicy cliffhanger for a second season.

Also, apparently IANOWT could exist in the same universe as The End of the F***ing World. What a small world we live in.

The good things...

One of the best things about this show is the cinematography and the visuals. Jonathan Entwistle, the director, definitely did a great job. Everything you see on the screen looks very pleasing, not to mention rewatchable.

Also, did I mention Entwistle also directed The End of the F***ing World? The plot thickens.

The soundtrack helps the general impression even more, as produced by Netflix. Going off nostalgia is vaguely reminiscent of your Sex Education or even your Stranger Things, and this aesthetic helps show us the boredom that reigns in a city such as Brownsville, Pennsylvania.

…and worse things.

Humour... is present. Far from the level of some of my favourite comedies, like The Good Place or Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but charming and definitely has its crowd. And yeah, it’s not a comedy, so just cut it some slack.

And an obvious disclaimer — the tropes of a teen drama are bountiful. So in case you are allergic to things like that, steer clear.

In conclusion...

I Am Not Okay With This exceeds expectations, but that’s considering there weren’t many to begin with. A decent show which is enjoyable while it lasts.

7/10.

Thanks a bunch for reading what we write! It would mean even more if you shared this with a couple of friends. They might stop talking to you, but hey, you never know.