The Dakota Johnson-led Am I OK?, like it’s protagonist, is a late-blooming film. It first premiered in 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival, but is only coming out to the audience now, over two years later. Set during the sunny days of Los Angeles, the film tells the story of Lucy (Dakota), who is slightly late to reconciling with her sexuality.
Her understated journey of self-discovery is also underlined by her longtime friendship with Jane (Sonoya Mizuno), that appears to be disintegrating. As Lucy, Dakota Johnson brings to life the awkward overtones of the film, that hammer home the directing style of Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne. Lucy is clumsy when compared to her athletic best friend Jane, and admittedly shies away from venturing outside the comfort zone she has built for herself.
But even within the cocoon of her moored life, marked by an otherwise monotonous job, as Jane points out: Lucy is not even comfortable within her comfort zone. At the age of 32, when everyone around her is putting down roots, Lucy’s life lacks a defining dimension. She has never been in a relationship for longer than a few months, and the news of Jane moving to London with her boyfriend brings these feelings to the surface.
In one of the more standout moments from the film, she tearfully admits to Jane that she might be attracted to women, and despite having felt that way for some time, has not acted on it. Jane, while comforting her, says that this doesn’t come as a surprise to a pers.
