“Promising Young Woman” Review

Despite 2020 being a largely disappointing year for film due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several films have made all of the turmoil filmgoers have gone through almost worth it (almost being the key word). “Promising Young Woman” is one of those films. The film combines an unrelenting lead performance from Carey Mulligan with incredible filmmaking and a story which is as topical as it is disturbing.

The film stars Mulligan as Cassie Thomas, a medical school dropout who spends her weeks going to clubs and acting drunk so that men will pick her up and try to take advantage of her, only for her to reveal her sobriety and terrifying them. She does this as a wave of blind vengeance for her best friend Nina, who was raped, with the perpetrator suffering no consequences and the school essentially covering it up. 

Outside her nightlife, she works in a coffee shop with a supportive boss (Laverne Cox) and even begins a relationship with an old classmate (Bo Burnham). However, when the man who raped Nina (Chris Lowell), comes back to town, Cassie goes on a dark, vengeful path to bring her own idea of justice to those that wronged her and Nina.

While this film is incredible on a technical and storytelling level, Carey Mulligan’s performance is what truly makes this film. She perfectly blends dark comedy and disturbing psychosis in a role that absolutely should sweep this upcoming awards season. 

Cassie’s character is very much from the same vein of Travis Bickle as they both pursue a type of vigilante justice. Despite doing things that can’t necessarily be condoned, her motives are identifiable which makes her performance all the more frightening at times. While Cassie starts off the film with some obvious psychotic tendencies, there is still hope that she can pursue a happier life but, as the film progresses, that hope begins to dim.

As for the rest of the actors, most of these roles have very little screen time, with most of the film centered on Cassie. However, incredible actors were selected to truly give these roles their own personality. This includes Laverne Cox, Allison Brie, Adam Brody, Max Greenfield and especially Alfred Molina who delivers an incredibly moving performance with less than ten minutes spent in the film.

The film was written, produced and directed by Emerald Fennell who showcases the most promising directorial debut since Olivia Wilde with 2019’s “Booksmart.” Her voice is apparent throughout “Promising Young Woman” with the film’s story having a constant sense of purpose and the every move of the camera being coordinated to complement that story.

“Promising Young Woman” also displays a color palette that is littered with pastels but, unlike a Wes Anderson film, there’s still a sense of realism attached to it. The colors perfectly complement the film’s moments of happiness and also provide a direct contrast to the darkness that is building within Cassie.

The music provided for the film also creates this atmosphere that is realistic, yet somewhat detached from normalcy. It’s a safe bet that no one thought Brittany Spears’ “Toxic” would sound intimidating as an instrumental string cover, but somehow “Promising Young Woman” made it work.

Fennell’s direction may be among the year’s best, but the screenplay definitely is the best piece of original material from a writer in a 2020 film which is a lot considering that this past year also had Aaron Sorkin in the ring. The film’s plot is an intriguing dive into how a pursuit of justice can become twisted into vengeance. “Promising Young Woman” never tells us to feel one way or the other about Cassie’s actions which can lead viewers to either view the film, especially the ending, as a tragedy or as a triumph. 

The film clearly has something to say about the current culture of trying to hold men accountable for their past actions to not only remedy the injuries of the past but also to make a better future for women. “Promising Young Woman” also depicts both toxic masculinity and the way men and women are treated whenever a heinous crime like rape is commited and then reported. 

The best example occurs when Cassie confronts one of her victims and he says “it’s every man’s worst nightmare, getting accused of something like that,” to which Cassie replies “can you guess what every woman’s worst nightmare is?”

One of the producers of the film was Margot Robbie who gained critical praise and several award nominations for her role of Kayla Popisil in “Bombshell” which depicted the women who blew the whistle of the sexual harassment which went on at Fox News. While “Bombshell” is an excellent depiction of real women fighting the system of toxicity legally, “Promising Young Woman” is much more of a fantasy that is every bit as relevant to today’s current climate.