Dir. Emerald Fennell (trailer)
Promising Young Woman is like no other revenge film you've ever seen before. Starring Carey Mulligan as Cassie, an emotionally stunted med-school dropout who uses her trauma to systematically carry out revenge on men who try to pick her up at bars. The film also stars a cast of Hollywood's favorite "nice-guys" such as Bo Burnham, Adam Brody, and New Girl's Max Greenfield, playing against their usual type.
The film follows Cassie as she lures men into taking her home and waiting for them to make a move on her while she is seemingly too drunk to give consent, before revealing that she is in actually sober. After teaching the men a lesson, she heads home where she still lives with her parents. At her low-stress day job at a coffeeshop, Cassie runs into a former classmate Ryan (Burnham) and begins leading a double life, fueled by the need to avenge her bestfriend Nina's death.
What really makes Promising Young Woman unique, is it's use of the female perspective. Writer and director Emerald Fennell uses pop music to score the movie and often treats men in the film with the same gaze that actresses usually receive from male directors. While the movie has a dark plot and keeps you on the edge of your seat, this film has many funny and sweet moments coupled with colorful filmmaking that creates a candy-coated world.
I recommend this film to anyone who loves thrillers and dark comedies.
Rating: ★★★★★
Recommended for fans of: thrillers, Kill Bill vol. 1 (2003), comedy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Silkwood (1983)
0 Comments.