I Am Not Okay with This

I Am Not Okay with This is an American coming-of-age black comedy television series based on the 2017 graphic novel of the same name by Charles Forsman. The series stars Sophia Lillis, Wyatt Oleff, Sofia Bryant, and Kathleen Rose Perkins. The series was released on Netflix on February 26, 2020. The series follows the story of an emotionally turbulent teenage girl, Sydney Novak, who discovers that she has psychokinetic powers that are triggered by strong emotions. As the series progresses she aims to gain control over her powers while navigating the complicated relationships of her life. She navigates the coping of her father's death, an estranged relationship with her mother, a blossoming friendship with Stanley Barber, and her feelings towards her best friend and possible crush, Dina.
Netflix originally renewed the series for a second season, but canceled it in August 2020, citing "circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic".

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Cast and characters

Main

Sophia Lillis as Sydney “Syd” Novak, a 17-year-old lesbian girl who begins to realize that she has telekinetic powers
Wyatt Oleff as Stanley "Stan" Barber, Sydney's neighbor and friend
Sofia Bryant as Dina, Sydney's best friend, whom she has a crush on
Kathleen Rose Perkins as Maggie Novak, Sydney's widowed mother

Recurring

Aidan Wojtak-Hissong as Liam Novak, Sydney's younger brother
Richard Ellis as Brad Lewis, Dina's jock boyfriend whom Sydney dislikes
David Theune as Mr. Peter File, the high school science teacher
Zachary S. Williams as Ricky Berry, confident, monied jock and Brad's best friend
Jackson Frazer as Richard Rynard, a bully who torments Liam and whom Sydney confronts

Photographs of Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden are briefly used as an easter egg to their respectively portrayed characters James and Alyssa from The End of the F***ing World, the events of which are intended to be taking place simultaneously with those of I Am Not Okay with This.

Production

On December 12, 2018, Netflix announced it had given the production a series order for an eight-episode first season, of which only seven were produced. The series was created by Jonathan Entwistle and Christy Hall, who executive produced alongside Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Dan Cohen, and Josh Barry. Entwistle also directed the series. Alongside the series announcement, it was announced that Sophia Lillis, Sofia Bryant, Wyatt Oleff, and Kathleen Rose Perkins would star in the series, with Aidan Wojtak-Hissong and Richard Ellis recurring in the series. Filming commenced in Pittsburgh in June 2019. The town of Brownsville, Pennsylvania served as a primary location, while Wilmerding's Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter School was used as the high school exterior. The series was released on February 26, 2020. The series was renewed by Netflix for a second season. On August 21, 2020, Netflix canceled the series after one season, citing "COVID-related circumstances."

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an 87% approval rating with 67 reviews, with an average rating of 6.82/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "As awkward and charming as adolescence, but with twice the supernatural twists, I Am Not Okay With This first season at times veers into shallow territory, but Sophia Lillis' strong performance keeps it afloat." Review aggregator Metacritic gave the series a score of 68 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The series was nominated for "List of [Harvey Award winners#Best Adaptation From a Comic|Best Adaptation from Comic Book/Graphic Novel]" at the 2020 Harvey Awards.