After directing and executive producing Netflix’s cult series The End of the F***ing World, based on the graphic novel by Charles Forsman, Jonathan Entwistle tackles another Forsman graphic novel for the popular streaming service. Toss in the producers of Stranger Things, and you have a new series that retains Forsman and Entwistle’s distinct, cynical brand of a coming-of-age story, full of darkness and surprises, in an easily digestible and binge-worthy format. This team breathes new life into a familiar story for horror fans.
Sophia Lillis (It franchise, Gretel & Hansel) stars as Sydney, a teen struggling to navigate her rocky home life, the complexities of high school, and her increasingly complicated feelings for her best friend Dina (Sofia Bryant). The typical young adult coming of age story, right out of a John Hughes movie. Except for straightaway, I Am Not Okay With This declares itself to have much sharper teeth; the opening scene of the series features Syd walking down the street at night, her dress completely soaked in blood. She looks shell shocked, and sirens blare in the distance. Her voiceover narration kicks in, “Dear Diary, go fuck yourself.”
Like most teens, Syd is confused about life. About her relationships, about how to deal with Dina’s jerk boyfriend, how to engage with her mom, what went wrong with her dad, and how to deal with the sweet advances from neighbor Stan (It franchise’s Wyatt Oleff). She’s not a shrinking wallflower, but she is a bit of a self-imposed outcast. Above all, her hand in life has left her a pessimist with a severe anger problem. A problem that manifests in telekinesis. Syd’s teen angst magnifies tenfold.
If that sounds a lot like the setup for Carrie, well, you’re not entirely wrong. There are clear parallels between Carrie White’s story and Sydney’s. But Syd is far less sheltered than her supercharged counterpart, and she has friends and family who care.
With seven short episodes ranging from 20-30 minutes long, there’s zero fat to this breezy show. Meaning that the teen drama contributes to Syd’s arch without ever overstaying its welcome, and the mysteries that follow our lead heroine are parceled out at the perfect pace. Why is she covered in blood in the opening? More importantly, how will her burgeoning powers shape her in her most formative age? There’s an even more curious development that pops up and plays a large part over the inaugural season’s finale that lays out two clear paths for Syd in the future, both of them very dark.
Lillis is more than capable of carrying the show; in lesser hands, a character like Syd could be challenging to like. She’s angry, mistrustful, awkward, and tends to lash out at those around her. Lillis gives her authenticity and an underlying brightness that keeps Syd from becoming too spiteful and dour. She handles the acerbic wit of the dialogue well, too. The biggest surprise of the show, however, goes to Oleff. His Stan, a very different Stan than the one he played in It, has his own struggles with awkwardness and less-than-ideal home life, but it can’t tamp down his infectious warmth. His affection for Syd makes his arch just as compelling as hers.
First and foremost, the quick season plays like a character study with hints of genre. A dramedy that gradually builds until a dynamic climax that leans heavily into superpowered horror. The closing moments make it abundantly clear there’s much more of Syd’s story left to tell, with the promise of something much darker and bloodier ahead. In other words, I Am Not Okay With This does a fantastic job of plummeting viewers into this engaging world that offers up just the right blend of pessimistic danger and sentimental coming of age. Still, it refuses to provide all the answers. For genre fans, it’s a tasty and satisfying appetizer to hold us over for the much bigger genre course that’s likely on the way.
I Am Not Okay With This releases on Netflix on February 26, 2020.
