1980’s inspiration can be found in many of our ne
1980s inspiration can be found in many of our newest Netflix shows, such as, “Sex Education,” “End of the F—ing World” and now “I Am Not Okay With This.” “Sex Education” has been referred to as a love letter to John Hughes. The same can also be said for “I Am Not Okay With This,” but with a dash of Stephen King. In all of these shows, ’80s clothing, music, cars and technology show you that the story takes place in a different time.
Netflix’s “I Am Not Okay With This,” is a coming-of-age story following the life of a teenage girl, Sydney Novak (Sophia Lillis), after the unexpected passing of her father. Her life appears pretty ordinary at first glance. She enjoys spending time with her best friend, Dina, more than anything and helps take care of her younger brother, nicknamed “Goob.”
While grieving her father, Sydney has gained a bit of an “I hate the world” complex and thinks no one understands her. However, in her case, this may actually be true. This is where we learn that “I Am Not Okay With This” is not your typical coming-of-age story.
Sydney tends to get very overwhelmed with life’s struggles, and during one of her moments of frustration, she discovers she has superpowers. From this point on, her powers only seem to appear when she is at her worst. After a high school party gone wrong, Sydney runs into the woods and screams out her rage, destroying about 10 trees in the process. Sydney’s secret is quickly uncovered by her friend and neighbor, Stanley Barber (Wyatt Oleff), who witnessed the event as he was driving home from the party.
Stanley Barber is a quirky, charismatic boy that is now determined to help his friend (and crush) discover the truth about her newly-found powers and help her to control them. Oleff may be recognized from his first role as a Stanley in the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s “IT,” alongside Sophia Lillis. Stanley Barber has been a massive fan favorite character and offers comedic relief throughout the show.
“I Am Not Okay With This” does an excellent job combining comedy with a darker twist. The more sinister moments seem very inspired by Stephen King’s “Carrie.” The ending of season one mirrors Carrie’s high school dance scene, leaving us with a shock. The show has not yet been renewed for a second season, but it seems likely after such a positive response from viewers. The first season’s strong cliffhanger makes it very unclear how the story will evolve, but fans are eager to find out.