Am I OK?
**Seen at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
“Am I OK?” is not the first film to deal with 30-something uncertainty in life, but it’s one that is effortlessly charming and honest. I’m all for this being part of a trend in movies to normalize the idea that, even at 30, life is rarely figured out. Arrested development and malaise doesn’t end at 30, Hollywood; in fact, that’s usually where things start to snap into focus.
Lucy (Dakota Johnson) and Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) are best friends whom just seemed to connect at some point in life. We all have those friends where, for whatever reason, they just came into our life, and we cannot imagine our lives without them. You talk to each other daily, or hang out daily, and that bond feels as authentic as any relationship we’ve ever had. There’s nothing romantic there- and Jane has her boyfriend, Danny (Jermaine Fowler)- it’s just…comfortable, even if your directions in life are not the same. Lucy is an artist, but she works at a spa, while Jane has a corporate job. It doesn’t matter; that friendship and support system is always there. Lucy is starting to wonder about herself, where her feelings lie romantically- not towards Jane, but in general- and Jane is in line for a big promotion which will take her overseas. Things are about to change, and that’s never easy.
While “Am I OK?,” an assured and entertaining feature directorial debut for Stephanie Allynne and Tig Notaro, centers a lot on the sexual questioning of Lucy, I would imagine the friendship Lucy and Jane have is a big part of what they loved portraying in Lauren Pomerantz’s screenplay. It’s the essential element of the narrative that makes this film work as beautifully as it does. As we grow older, it’s interesting to see the ways our friendships diverge or get stronger over the years, as well as how our own journeys impact it. Lucy is naturally happy for Jane for her promotion, but she’s also scared of not having her best friend around as well. For so long, Jane seems to have been a steadying impact on her, but when they fight, we can see how much it throws Jane off, as well. She tries to disguise it, but it’s obvious that with the work partner she’ll be moving with, it’s just not the same energy. Johnson and Mizuno are simply wonderful as this pair; you would think they’d been friends for years themselves.
I’m not someone who questioned my own sexual identity, so it’s difficult to identify with that part of Lucy’s arc. That being said, trying to figure out who I was, and what that meant, was a huge part of my early 30s, when my physical health forced me to re-examine not just how I was taking care of myself physically, but mentally. For Lucy, figuring out who she is includes wondering why she pulls herself away when a male friend (Whitmer Thomas) tries to kiss her, and what it might be like to kiss one of the masseuses (Brittany, played by Kiersey Clemons) at her job. This is a smart and insightful film about that discovering of oneself, and one that is perfectly suitable for a lot of different demographics. Ultimately, what works strongest for me about “Am I OK?” is the way the friendship evolves between Lucy and Jane in a healthy, loving way. Sometimes, that’s as strong an indicator we’re headed in the right direction individually as anything else.
