Am I OK? (2024)
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Am I OK? Movie Review
Am I OK? is a 2024 indie dramedy film directed by Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne and starring Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno. It’s a slight, but very endearing flick.
Lucy and Jane have been best friends for most of their lives and think they know everything there is to know about each other. But when Jane announces she`s moving to London, Lucy reveals a long held secret. As Jane tries to help Lucy, their friendship is thrown into chaos. This movie essentially deals with two subjects – female friendship and sexual awakening. And strangely enough, the friendship story is the one that emerged as the better of the two.
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There are people who don’t start having relationships and sex before the age of 30 and this is sadly especially prominent within the LGBT community. This film deals with this issue in a very realistic manner as we follow Johnson’s character grappling with her sudden realization and acceptance of her homosexuality. How she navigates this newfound world is both amusing and touching.
But the height of the movie actually lies in the aforementioned friendship arc. The movie showcases the importance of a healthy friendship and how these types of relationships can be as valuable as those of the romantic persuasion. The two women go through numerous arguments, most of them stemming from selfishness, but eventually selflessness and love persevere in a very sweet and wonderful ending that reaffirmed their friendship.
Am I OK? benefits from two stellar performances by its two very talented leads. I actually found Dakota Johnson here very well cast and she was both believable and effective in the main role. The fact that she made this film during the time she delivered her worst work in ‘Madame Web’ is crazy to me. But Sonoya Mizuno impressed me even more as her character is quite grounded and interesting and the actress was so compelling throughout. The movie is technically only serviceable and the plot is very slim. It’s one of the least ambitious indies released this year, but that ultimately did not matter as the film works in strong characterization, solid dialogue and fine humor.
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Am I OK? is an indie flick that examines the issue of a later than usual sexual awakening. That is its central plot, but the friendship storyline ended up being the more interesting one of the two as it was very grounded and ultimately quite sweet. This is a very slim, unambitious film, but one that was endearing and engaging throughout, benefitting from strong performances from both Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno.
My Rating – 4
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