Am I OK? Ending Explained (2024)

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for AM I OK?

AM I OK? premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, and the movie is finally streaming on Max this June, just in time for a Pride Month watch. AM I OK? was the co-directorial feature film debut of Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allyne, comedian-actresses and wives. They have previously worked together on Notaro’s semi-autobiographical series One Mississippi, in which they played love interests. AM I OK?, which tells the story of a woman who realizes she’s a lesbian in her 30s, is based on the real-life coming out story of writer Lauren Pomerantz.

Dakota Johnson stars as the main character, Lucy. Johnson delivers a grounded, relatable performance in AM I OK?, embodying the complicated emotions of her coming out experience. It’s the opposite of her most recent film, Madame Web, as shown by AM I OK?’s positive reviews. Johnson is joined by Sonoya Mizuno as Lucy’s best friend, Jane, with Jermaine Fowler, Kiersey Clemons, Molly Gordon, and more making up the supporting cast. AM I OK? is funny, emotional, heartwarming, and ultimately a story about friendship, growth, and change.

Why Lucy Goes To London With Jane In Am I OK?'s Ending

Lucy Deciding To Go To London Showed Her Growth

Lucy and her best friend Jane are at very different places in their lives when viewers meet them in AM I OK? Lucy is a single woman who has never had a serious relationship, while Jane is in a long-term relationship with her boyfriend, Danny (Fowler), and expects him to propose soon. Lucy works as a receptionist at a spa when her true passion is for painting, while Jane has found success in a corporate job. So much success, in fact, that she was asked to run her company’s London office.

Jane, who grew up in London and moved to the United States when she was 16, jumps at the chance. This is obviously a big change for her, as well as her friendship with Lucy that can be seen as codependent at times. Lucy has a hard time with change, and her predictability and tendency to turn towards things that make her feel safe and comfortable are emphasized throughout the movie. Thus, it was a bit surprising when Lucy decided to join Jane in London at the end of AM I OK? to help her settle in.

However, this was just further proof of Lucy’s growth throughout the film. Lucy was taking a big leap and embracing change, having quit her job to focus on painting again. With Jane leaving, there was nothing tying Lucy to Los Angeles outside of familiarity. By going with Jane, she was not only trying something new, but she was taking on a new role in their friendship as the supportive risk-taker. Additionally, by not committing to any specific length of time she'd be there, Lucy left room for many options and possibilities to explore.

Britt's Sexuality In Am I OK? Explained

Lucy Assumed Britt Was Straight

Part of Lucy’s decision to explore her sexuality in AM I OK? was brought on by her crush on her co-worker, Britt (Clemons). Their feelings seemed to be mutual, with Britt constantly flirting with her and initiating a friendship between them. In many ways, Britt was Lucy’s opposite. She was outgoing, forward, and bubbly when Lucy tended to be more reserved and awkward with people she wasn’t already close with. Yet, Lucy took a chance with Britt, who became the first woman she hooked up with.

Lucy was also the first woman Britt had ever been with, and before they got together, she spoke with Lucy about sexuality being a spectrum. Unfortunately for Lucy, Britt put distance between them following their hookup and got back together with her ex-boyfriend. This led Lucy to assume Britt was straight, and she might have been, but it’s more likely that her sexuality was fluid.

It’s important to have LGBTQ+ representation in characters like Lucy and Britt, neither of whom are considered straight, but have very different journeys and perspectives on their sexualities. AM I OK? didn’t end up having the queer love story Lucy was looking for, but it did have romance. By the end of AM I OK?, Lucy had embraced her sexuality and started going on dates with women.

The Deeper Purpose Of Kat's Character In Am I OK?

Kat Represented A Turning Point For Jane

Kat (Gordon) is primarily comedic relief in AM I OK?, but her character serves a deeper purpose in the film. Kat is introduced as Jane’s co-worker and new friend who will be joining her in London. Their differences are obvious right away, as Kat seems self-absorbed and more interested in social media than real-life. Yet, when Lucy tries to point out that Jane isn’t into things like Instagram, Jane quiets her and says it’s something she could get into.

Lucy didn’t like Kat, and while Jane assumed it was just because she was jealous of her having friends outside of her, there was more to it. Jane changed part of her personality for Kat, or at least she brought out the more unsavory parts of her personality when she was around Kat. Though Jane denied she was trying to replace Lucy with Kat, she was certainly trying to deepen their friendship, since Kat would be with her in London and Lucy wouldn’t.

Jane’s closeness with Kat represented not only a turning point in her friendship with Lucy, as it caused a big argument between the best friends, but in her character as a whole. Though Jane would come to resent Kat’s self-absorbed nature, she had her own issues. Danny told Jane he couldn’t join her in London in AM I OK?, at least not immediately because he had a life in Los Angeles. Jane had simply assumed Danny would be okay with leaving everything behind because she didn’t consider he had a life beyond her.

Tig Notaro's Cameo In Am I OK? Explained

Tig Notaro Played A Hammock Retreat Leader

One of the most telling moments in AM I OK? that showed how much Jane was changing about herself for Kat was the hammock retreat. Kat’s birthday present for Jane was an off-the-grid retreat where they’d spend the entire time in hammocks. This wasn’t something Jane was interested in by any means, but instead of telling Kat this like Danny suggested, she didn’t say a word and attended the retreat, where she was predictably miserable.

Not only did she not want to be there, but she and Lucy were fighting and Danny had told her he couldn’t join her in London. The leader of the hammock retreat, Sheila, was played by Tig Notaro. This cameo had layers, as Notaro co-directed AM I OK? Outside of the story, she was running the set, while inside the story, she was running the hammock retreat. She was wearing a long gray wig, much different from her usual short cropped hair, but her comedic talent shined in the short scene.

The Problem With Jane & Lucy's Friendship In Am I OK?

Jane & Lucy Weren’t Always Great Friends To Each Other

Despite their history together and the chemistry between Mizuno and Johnson, the fight between Lucy and Jane in AM I OK? was both necessary and long-awaited. While opposites often attract, there comes a point when people’s differences start to cause more harm than good. When they finally fought, both Jane and Lucy made harsh, important points about each other. Jane was too controlling, but Lucy was also too passive and afraid to truly live her life.

The problems with Jane and Lucy’s friendship in AM I OK? were made clear through their fight and different scenes that showed they weren’t always great friends to each other. Yet, their fight also led to them making important changes in their lives. Jane realized she needed Lucy as much as Lucy needed her, and Jane’s words inspired Lucy to be more independent and do things outside her comfort zone. This helped make the AM I OK? ending more satisfying, as while all their problems weren’t fixed, they had a chance to try again as more mature, evolved people.

The Real Meaning Of Am I OK?'s Ending

The Title Is Said By Lucy In The Film

AM I OK? features a title drop from Lucy early in the film, but it has a deeper meaning than just that one scene. Throughout AM I OK?, Lucy constantly tells people she’s okay, even when she’s not. She consistently bottles up her feelings to the point where she has an emotional breakdown when she finally comes to terms with her sexuality. She had barely let herself consider the idea that she might be a lesbian, let alone act on her feelings for women before talking with Jane about Britt.

Lucy asks Jane “Am I OK?” after confessing that she’s not even sure if she’s ever been happy. She’s been repressing herself for so long, she’s not even fully sure who she is, but Jane just sees this as an excuse for Lucy to not step outside her comfort zone. Jane eventually reassures Lucy she’ll be fine, but the title doesn’t just apply to Lucy. It's a question Jane should have been asking herself as well, but by the end of AM I OK?, it appears as though they can both answer “yes” to the question posed by the title.

Am I Ok?

R

Director

Stephanie Allynne , Tig Notaro

Release Date

June 3, 2024

Writers

Lauren Pomerantz

Cast

Dakota Johnson , Sonoya Mizuno , Jermaine Fowler , Kiersey Clemons , Molly Gordon

Runtime

86 Minutes

See at HBO Max