Am I OK? (2024)
Directed by: Stephanie Allynne and Tig Notaro
Premise: Lucy (Dakota Johnson) realizes that she is a lesbian. Meanwhile, her best friend Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) is offered a promotion that requires her to move to London.
What Works: Am I OK? is a love story, albeit a platonic one. Lucy and Jane are longtime friends but Lucy’s life has plateaued whereas Jane has a successful career. When Lucy has an epiphany about her sexual orientation Jane takes it upon herself to assist her friend. However, Lucy’s cautious disposition and Jane’s goal-oriented personality cause friction, threatening the future of their relationship. Like any love story, the success of Am I OK? is largely dependent on the leads and Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno are a likable on-screen couple. They have an easy and fun banter, acting convincingly as women who have known each other for a long time. There are a lot of effective subtle details to their scenes together. The viewer is made to want to see them reconcile their difference and preserve their friendship. That’s what’s really at stake in Am I OK? and the survival of Lucy and Jane’s friendship is compelling enough to invest us in the drama. The other relationships of Am I OK? make an effective contrast with Lucy and Jane. The subplots between Jane and her boyfriend (Jermaine Fowler) and between Lucy and a coworker (Kiersey Clemons) dramatize the flimsiness and ambiguity of contemporary relationships which highlights the value of the connection between the central characters.
What Doesn’t: Am I OK? only runs eighty-six minutes and it’s a little too short and efficient for its own good. Part of this movie is about Lucy realizing her sexual orientation which she does early on and there is not much conflict to it. Her life at the start of the film is unfulfilling but comfortable. Lucy is nervous to start dating but there’s no external conflict nor are there consequences if she doesn’t take action. When Lucy does start dating everything goes smoothly and her character growth is glossed over in a montage sequence. The relationship between Lucy and Jane is well dramatized but it follows a familiar pattern. As a love story, it passes through predictable turns with the fight, the break up, and the reconciliation. The very end of Am I Ok? tags on a surprise that undermines some of the themes of growth and independence that the rest of the story was working toward.
Disc extras: Available on Max.
Bottom Line: Am I OK? is a likeable relationship story primarily because of the performances by Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno. On the whole, it’s a bit too thin and lightweight but Am I OK? is a satisfying platonic love story.
Episode: #1011 (September 1, 2024)