"I Am Not Okay With This" adds a funny, relatable story of teen-angst and telekinesis to Netflix.

If puberty, poverty, sexuality, grief, and everyday teen angst weren’t already difficult enough to deal with, imagine discovering you have destructive and dangerous superpowers.

In Netflix’s new series “I Am Not Okay With This”, Sydney Novak, a supposed “boring 17-year old white girl” is swamped with emotions and anxiety from the recent death of her father, the isolation of her best friend, Dina, and the new patches of acne popping up on her thighs. But blemishes aren’t the only disturbing manifestations boiling up inside Syd, as she soon realizes her rage-induced telekinesis and the destructive effects it leaves in its path.

Despite a gloomy premise in a dreary small-town setting, the new show is a charming, fresh, and moving addition to the comic book genre, in large part due to the two young leads: Sophia Lyllis as Syd, and her fellow “IT: Chapter 1” co-star, Wyatt Oleff as Stan. Lyllis excels in the role of a lost, confused, and angry teenage girl with an emotional and multilayered performance, while Oleff’s character compliments her as a quirky, hopeful, and zero-F***s-given next-door neighbor.

While lacking in a plot-heavy narrative, the 7 episode series is still fun and fast-paced thanks to an upbeat 1970s/80s soundtrack (heavily inspired by Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” or Netflix’s previous superhero series “The Umbrella Academy”) and many homages to 80’s teen classics such as “Carrie” and “The Breakfast Club”. Even with a story that could be described as “unoriginal” and “uninspired”, the series is set-apart due to its emphasis on the trauma and struggles of everyday teenagers, and their many conflicting emotions and anger-filled endeavors.

Conclusion: With a fun, concise, relatable, and comedic story wrapped up into 20-minute episodes, “I Am Not Okay With This” gives a unique and compelling new addition to the superhero genre, with an intriguing and strong set-up for a second season.

Rating: 8/10