Quinn Shephard wrote and directed Not Okay, which is meant to serve as a mix of cautionary tale and social satire. The new dark comedy is now streaming on Hulu.
Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch), an aimless aspiring writer with no friends, no romantic prospects and — worst of all — no followers, fakes an Instagram-friendly trip to Paris in the hopes of boosting her social media clout. When a terrifying incident strikes the City of Lights, Danni unwittingly falls into a lie bigger than she ever imagined. She “returns” a hero, scooping up the man of her dreams Colin (Dylan O’Brien), and even striking up an unlikely friendship with Rowan (Mia Isaac), a real trauma survivor dedicated to societal change. As an influencer and advocate, Danni finally has the life and audience she always wanted. But it’s only a matter of time before the facade cracks, and she learns the hard way that the Internet loves a takedown.
Shephard is a filmmaker and writer, best known for her directorial debut, Blame, which she wrote, directed, and starred in. Blame premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2017, making her the youngest female filmmaker to screen a feature at the fest and earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay. Before pivoting into filmmaking exclusively, she appeared in several film and television roles including Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, and CBS’s Hostages.
We had a great discussion about why she decided to end the story with that powerful final moment and what conversations she hopes the film inspires.
Watch my full interview here:
