Cassie (Carey Mulligan) has experienced a traumatic event–and since then her life has never been the same. She was a promising doctoral candidate–a truly smart individual, but rather than put her time and effort toward bettering herself and developing a career she has decided to take her skills in an entirely new direction. Promising Young Woman is a story of revenge, as Cassie seeks out men who put others in danger and ensures that those men will hurt no one ever again. Her journey is rocky and her cause is just–however, sometimes the dangers outweigh the good, and Cassie is about to realize that her plan isn’t quite as simple as it seems.
I subscribe to the idea that the majority of people are good, and that unfortunately media and social media outlets tend to showcase the negatives rather than the positives. With that being said, the reality is that bad people exist and some morally ambiguous individuals make poor decisions that negatively affect others. Promising Young Woman, headed by the vivacious Mulligan, aims to present to the world the flaws of the many men who take advantage of women who are in a state of inebriation. It does just that–and viewers are pulled deep into a twisted story of betrayal and discomfort. The content is so emotionally drawing that viewers cannot help but to become attached to the story and the characters–particularly Cassie and Ryan (Bo Burnham).
Let’s talk about how perfect these two actors are. Both Mulligan and Burnham fit their respective roles like they were born for them. The scenarios in which both actors take part throughout the course of the film are challenging, not just because they require a substantial amount of emotion, but because as I watched much of the film play out I felt sick to my stomach. I can’t imagine the struggle of bringing these horrific scenarios to life, but both Burnham and Mulligan convey every second of this film with finesse and perfection. Promising Young Woman can be difficult to stomach from time to time, and while that comes from the story that Writer-Director Emerald Fennell develops, the majority comes from how well the two leads are able to convey emotion and accurately depict the gut-wrenching scenes.
Again, Promising Young Woman can be tough to stomach from time to time. The cinematography, headed by Benjamin Kracun, gets up close and personal during the more emotionally trying scenes. Kracun and his crew are able to, so intimately, capture the darkest scenes and pull viewers further into the story. The discomfort present in all that this group is able to capture is uncanny and ironically welcoming–as it presents honesty and realism throughout.
Promising Young Woman is guided by emotion and the cast and crew pleading with viewers to make good choices and to respect the people around them. While Promising Young Woman is immensely entertaining from beginning to end, the purpose of the film is to inform. As Cassie struggles through the dark reality in which she exists, she expresses to anyone that will listen that the world needs to do better; that stigmas surrounding young men and women can be detrimental to their education, their futures, and their very existence. Promising Young Woman is unique because it both informs and entertains without feeling gaudy or over the top. With stand out performances from Mulligan and Burnham, perfect cinematography, and a compelling and emotionally riveting story, Promising Young Woman has all the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Written & Directed by Emerald Fennell.
Starring Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Adam Brody, Sam Richardson, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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