Promising Young Woman: A Confident, Stylish Revenge Thriller That Goes Straight For The Jugular
Actress turned writer/director Emerald Fennell makes her feature film directorial debut with Promising Young Woman, a savagely refreshing new take on the revenge thriller. Bold, provocative, and stylishly sleek, the film launches an incisive attack on “nice guys” everywhere and is bolstered by Carey Mulligan’s phenomenal performance and Fennell’s confident swagger.
Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. However, nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be: She's wickedly smart and tantalizingly cunning, and she is living a secret double life by night. An unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past.
Emerald Fennell’s debut, Promising Young Woman, shares some striking similarities with Quentin Tarantino’s gory, grindhouse saga Kill Bill. Both films center around blonds seeking revenge for past trauma/wrong-doings (both inflicted by mostly men), which they’ve meticulously thought out and keep tabs on in a notebook. At the end of the day, they’re very different films, but if you strip away the action and gore from Kill Bill and broaden the scope of its vengeance from one man (well, five people) to the whole of rape culture, you’re left with compelling drama and humor slathered in vibrant style, which is encroaching on the kind of experience Promising Young Woman provides.
The film centers around Cassie, a young, intelligent woman whose life has taken an unexpected turn. Due to a tragic past incident that occurred in college to her best friend Nina, Cassie dropped out, leaving behind her promising future as a doctor. While she works as barista and lives at home with her parents (played by Jennifer Coolidge and Clancy Brown), who are both disappointed with how Cassie’s life has panned out, she also harbors a dark second life that involves pretending to be drunk in clubs to attract the attention of vile men seeking easy prey for one-night stands. What starts as an attack on all men narrows down to those who wronged Nina when she bumps into Ryan Cooper (Bo Burnham), a pediatrician who attended school at the same time as Nina and Cassie. This meet-cute leads to romance and a plan to exact revenge.
There’s a lot of mystery and genuine surprises built into Promising Young Woman’s twists and turns, making it one of those films that best experienced the less you know about it. It won’t be for everyone, especially those who crave subtlety in their cinema, as it can occasionally feel like its on-the-nose directness is teetering on brink of being too preachy — although the message it preaches is a timely and important one. Its ending bites off a bit more than can be chewed, veering into some dark terrain that feels like a shock to the system. While its intent is clear, Fennell’s ending doesn’t cohere with the tone of the rest of the film. It ultimately gives way to pessimism which shrouds the empowerment that leads up to its conclusion. It also takes the generic viewpoint that men are trash without really showing a counterbalance to that vague argument.
There are many aspects to the production which deserve praise though, and at the top of that list is Carey Mulligan’s performance as Cassie. She delivers a career-defining performance here, proving that she has an affinity for the comedic just as much as she does for drama. She give layers of depth to Cassie and makes her deep-seated trauma palpable and real. She also shares excellent chemistry with Burnham, who shines bright as awkward “nice guy.” Mulligan is fierce and energetic, oozing a charisma that lights the screen on fire. The swagger of her performance is equally met by Fennell’s stylish, steady-handed direction and Benjamin Kracun’s eye-popping cinematography, full of vibrant and sunny candy-colored hues. The film’s many cameos (including Alison Brie, Max Greenfield, Molly Shannon, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse, amongst others) also help to boost its enjoyment level.
Overall, Promising Young Woman is a genuinely funny breath of fresh air that touches on important themes and topics. Whether you agree with the film’s outlook or not, you’ll be transfixed by Mulligan’s astounding performance and enamored by her character’s journey — even if the ending kinda kills your buzz. It’s the kind of bold, confident cinema that we need right now, and it marks Fennell as yet another young, new talent with a promising future.
Recommendation: If strong, confident female-driven cinema is your bag, Promising Young Woman’s thrillingly twisty tale is one you won’t soon forget. Fellas, be warned, this your significant other may make you sleep on the couch after this.
Rating: 4 tally marks outta 5.
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