A title like I’m Totally Fine (2022) should speak to all of us.  I am sure others have said those words even when they did not completely mean them.  And therein lies the rub of the entire movie.  There is a certain strand of modern culture, a toxic one at that, which tells us that feeling negative emotions is bad.  The ethos is that to feel sad or angry is wrong, and that you need to do something to fix whatever situation is causing them.  If having such reactions is not correct, then why would God give them to us when He formed us?  God does not make mistakes, ergo having all the emotions of which we are capable of feeling is a blessing.  Though Faith is not a part of the story I am about to tell you, it is where the film lands by having all this explained to an alien incapable of emotion.  This sounds like a crazy premise, but it works.

The only thing Vanessa is working on in the beginning is trying to tell herself that I’m Totally Fine.  It belies the fact that the first scene features her crying.  She is shedding tears because Jennifer (Natalie Morales), Vanessa’s best friend and business partner, has recently died.  Vanessa is on her way to a swanky Air BnB they had booked in order to celebrate the launch of their new organic soda.  Instead, the trip has become a chance for her to get away from the trauma of the past few days.  People are worried.  Vanessa’s boyfriend, Eric (Blake Anderson), is trying to give her the space she says she needs, but calls often to check on her.  Even the guy (Kyle Newacheck) outside a convenience store from whom she bums a few cigarettes sees that she is not okay.  It gets worse when she arrives at her destination and has forgotten that she did not cancel the party she had contracted for weeks ago.  The organizer, Sandra (Karen Maruyama), insists that she is legally obligated to set up all the balloons and food Vanessa had ordered.  On the bright side, this means she has plenty of champagne with which she can drown her sorrows.  I have never been drunk, but I have learned over my years that drinking alone is a bad idea.  Following a series of alcohol induced odd behaviors, she falls asleep on a lawn chair next to a fireplace.  Upon stumbling into the kitchen in the morning, she absent mindedly takes a cup of coffee from Jennifer.  Because of the stupor Vanessa is in, it takes a few moments before she realizes who it was that had handed her the beverage.  Taking one more look at Jennifer, Vanessa walks to her car and calls Eric.  She does not tell him what has happened, finally convincing herself that she is going crazy.  Upon re-entering the house, Jennifer explains that she is not her deceased friend, but an alien from another planet sent to study humanity.  Not fully convinced that this is something other than a hallucination, Vanessa sits down to watch the orientation video the alien’s people have prepared for her.  Once this is complete, this Jennifer explains that she has all the memories of Vanessa’s friend.  It is too strange of a scenario for Vanessa to fully comprehend, which is not helped by the visitor needing to consume oil in order to keep the human flesh from falling off.  Further, Jennifer’s speech patterns also give her away as not being from the area.  She appears to come from a planet where everything is matter-of-fact without emotion, which is how she handles all of Vanessa’s emotional outbursts.  Seeing little alternative, particularly since the visitor’s species drains battery power from everything including cell phones, Vanessa submits to the testing.  With all of Jennifer’s memories, Vanessa is able to talk to her as if it is actually her friend, even if the responses are out-of-the-ordinary.  As such, a bond begins to form between them, and eventually Vanessa is taking this Jennifer to see their soda on the market shelf.  One problem: Vanessa owns a Tesla, so they do not travel far before having to pull over in the middle of nowhere.  Once more, Vanessa is agitated, and she wants no part of the convenience store guy she had met earlier who happens to be driving past.  Yet, Jennifer is trusting and convinces Vanessa to allow him to drive them back to the house, even though Vanessa believes they are about to be murdered.  Upon returning, they argue some more, Vanessa being tired of being the subject of experiments.  She points out that the real Jennifer would not be acting in this manner, though this new one claims that they would have fought either way.  What saves them this time is the appearance of DJ Twisted Bristle (Harvey Guillén), another weekend party favor she forgot to cancel.  He also offers them molly, which they readily accept.  As such, they bond over dancing to “Last Resort” by Papa Roach, a song they have enjoyed since they were friends in middle school.  Jennifer and Vanessa fall asleep in bed talking about taking trips together to Australia and France.  What Vanessa has forgotten is that this will be this Jennifer’s last day on this planet.  With Jennifer’s mission complete, it is time for her to go back and report.  Vanessa awakens unable to find Jennifer, who has walked to the store to get some of their soda.  Upon asking what they are supposed to do today, Jennifer announces that she has completed everything early so they can spend time together.  It leads to Vanessa once more getting angry, this time over the fact that Jennifer has to depart.  Angry words are said, and Jennifer ends up calling for a pick up sooner than her allotted time.  Vanessa regrets being mean and is going to give Jennifer something, but the newcomer vanishes while the earthling is inside.  The last scene is with Vanessa back in the car, essentially telling Eric that she is ready to move on.

I thought before starting I’m Totally Fine that I would be ready to move on from it after only a few moments.  That notion was not changed by the fact that there is drug use, and a bit of self-destructive behavior throughout the film.  In the introduction, I talked about how it is okay to feel the emotions that are brought to mind at any given moment.  They are natural and how God made us.  I would not know how to describe a world in which happy moments did not make us happy, or sad times bring sadness.  I also do not have to know such things because God made the world in which we live, and it is always good.  This is part of the reason why I do not get why people seek out substances like alcohol or drugs when they are in need of escape from their problems.  Unless one plans to remain drunk or high forever, and I suppose some aim for this goal, when you come down from these effects, the problems remain.  Indeed, this perfectly describes the film as a whole.  Vanessa spends a weekend partying, but the fact remains that Jennifer is dead.  The person inhabiting Jennifer’s body confirms this truth a few times.  What also remains is God’s love, which will go on regardless of substance abuse and long after you and I have departed from this world.  Still, what of the idea that it is okay to feel whatever emotions are brought on by a situation?  What is the point of feeling anything if the world is just going to be indifferent to our joys and pains?  I can assure you that God is not indifferent to anything we experience.  He simply loves us.  I use the word “simple” here to not only denote how easy is God’s love, but also to reference the copied Jennifer.  She has a clear sense of purpose, with an encyclopedic knowledge of things combined with a childlike sense.  In many respects, I feel this is not a bad way of describing God.  He knows us like a best friend, but better and more intimately.  Friends, no matter what form they come in, can model God for us, and this is what you see in this movie.

So, should you see I’m Totally Fine?  I would recommend it, though you have to be totally fine with a little objectionable material.  Please forgive my attempts at cleverness.  It is worth a view.