Hulu’s recent satirical comedy movie Not Okay focuses on a protagonist that the audience dislikes from the very beginning. It is rare to find such a main character, but Danni Sanders, played by Zoey Deutch, is a big-time fraud who can be quite tone-deaf. The only thing interesting about Danni is literally just being the main character of the film. Following her introduction, Rowan Aldren, played by Mia Isaac, seems to be taking the spotlight away from Danni.
Rowan’s character is a necessarily fresh and positive addition to the movie. In a way, she represents many great young activists who are passionate about changing the world for the better. Rowan is definitely Danni’s foil. Regardless of their age differences, Rowan seems to be more mature and considerate. Thus, this particular character might be the key focus of the story.
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Danni is More of a Villain in Not Okay
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While the word “villain” might be too harsh for Danni, it is undeniable that she receives so much dislike from the viewers that some might even be disgusted and offended by her nativity. The question is, what is she portrayed as such a detestable character? It can be argued that, perhaps, Quinn Shepherd tries to use Danni to portray Rowan in a much more positive light.
One key difference is the way in which Rowan is aware of the social issues. When we first come across Rowan during the trauma support group we see her being skeptical of those who try to gain sympathy using lies. She is also portrayed as someone quite understanding and relatable. Even though Rowan gains her fame due to her social activism, she is portrayed as a girl with anxiety and stage fright. It is made clear that she is not fighting to become popular but rather for a cause. On the other hand, Danni tries to use Rowan to enter the world of fame, which she clearly succeeds in.
Another central difference between the two characters is their styles and personas. Whilst one should not judge a book by its cover, it cannot be ignored how Danni’s becomes a typical “celebrity” with her red beret and her quite colorful style. In fact, we see the red beret becoming her symbol. On the other hand, Rowan doesn’t seem to have such a materialistic symbol. Rather, she is known for her spoken word poetry which is powerful in itself, as it is her mode of escape and confrontation.
Rowan Represents a Group of Larger Activists
No one can deny that the younger generations are facing a lot of traumas caused by many ignorant decisions by adults. Being young also means they lack the power (or sometimes sense) to implement the rules and regulations that protect their future. Rowan is an ideal representation of the youth that are facing many traumatic incidents. The way in which Rowan uses her voice to speak out resonates with many voices we hear on social media and on the street. It is definitely fascinating to see how this character has a powerful presence in the film simply through her voice. Moreover, Rowan’s addressing of the online hate and toxic backlash she receives resembles the similar hate that many young activists receive. A referential point would be the time when Trump tried to take a jab at the climate activist Greta Thunberg, but failed.
On the other hand, we see Danni trying to fraudulently create a traumatic incident and benefit from it. This points to one of the social issues where people try to victimize themselves to gain sympathy and fame.
More Focus on Rowan’s Background
The movie might bring in Danni’s family, but it fails to bring forth any in-depth information on her background. In fact, one might even wonder whether there is any particular reason why Danni is so obsessed with fame. On the other hand, Rowan is a character that has reasoning behind her activism.
Rowan explains that she is a victim of a school shooting. Additionally, she also points out how her sister died due to that particular school shooting. While this might come as a slice of Rowan’s life, it is obvious that this story makes Rowan a fuller, more powerful character that the film wants to celebrate, unlike Danni’s story. It is revealed that Rowan is still suffering from the trauma caused by the shooting as we see her struggling to cope with firecrackers and loud alarms. Moreover, Danni’s actions have a huge impact on Rowan as we see her heartbroken over Danni’s insensitive mannerisms. Thus, all this allows Rowan’s character to have more depth whilst Danni’s character fails to provide reasons for her behavior, and the viewer’s sympathy falls squarely on Rowan.
Rowan Has the Last Say in Not Okay
Not Okay takes a completely different route in not allowing the protagonist to have a redemption arc nor the last say in the film. In fact, what the audience is given is a powerful statement by Rowan as she expresses her anger and feelings of betrayal in an influential spoken word poem. The fact that Rowan is given a stage whilst Danni is diminished to the state of a mere audience member might change the whole perspective of the story as it illustrates how the story has been more about Rowan than Danni. Mia’s (the actress that portrays Rowan) statement to Refinery 29 further emphasizes this view as she states,
“Even at the end of that scene, Danni walks out, which is a metaphor for her leaving the narrative and leaving the story, because she’s realized that this isn’t about her, for the first time.”
