"It's every man's worst nightmare, getting accused of something like that."
"Do you know what every woman's worst nightmares is?"
Promising Young Woman is dark, entertaining and engaging. It’s not flawless, I don't think it's a cinematic masterpiece or anything like that but I really enjoyed it. The film surprised me by how many turns it took, it had me wondering where the story would lead. The tone and genre shifted a little bit too much, which was jarring at times but ultimately made the movie more exciting.
What I liked:
The use of symbolism, colors, music, and framing. The movie is so damn visually pleasing;
Great ensemble cast. Carey Mulligan was absolutely brilliant in every single scene;
I liked that Cassandra is cunning, she is not the typical 'cold sociopath' but rather a vengeful woman completely fed up with masculinity. I also liked that Cassie is not a Mary Sue. You don’t get to see a female character like this so often. Her revenge on Madison was too cruel. Later, she admitted nothing really happened when Madison was drunk, but how can we be sure she wasn’t rape? The film’s logic is that men will always take advantage of drunk women, why would this time be different? I know that hurt people want other people to feel their pain when they believe they were never acknowledged, that’s what the creators of this movie wanted to show;
It's an interesting choice that for once, the main character is not the victim herself, so the movie is based on the depth of a friendship, and loyalty between the bond of women;
The ending, really exhilarating, matched the message of the film. Yes, it’s bitter and cynical, and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. But that’s the point. The twist was pretty brutal and bold, I definitely didn't think they'd go there. At a certain part I thought this was going to turn into a melodrama about Cassie and Ryan's relationship. It seems like some reviewers were expecting Cassandra to be a hero, to literally kill the men who wronged her. People want some movies to be documentaries, not fiction, but just some!! For example, they have absolutely no problem with watching Borat, despite the fact that this is not how Kazakhs behave or even talk (Sacha Cohen’s fake accent is just horrible and wrong), they don't think how the movie would affect Kazaks. BUT according to these people Promising Young Woman should have ended with the main character triumphing and a happy ending, otherwise it would have negative effect on rape victims. One don’t get to dictate people’s politics but surely we can at least expect them to be consistent? You can’t want acting to be a physical representation/stand-in for a belief system when it suits you and don't when it serves your interests.
What I didn’t like:
The comedic tone of the scene following Cassandra’s death and at the wedding is inappropriate. The characters of Joe and Al Monroe are completely cheesy, idiotic, and quite unrealistic. I wanted them to be more serious because this is not a sitcom.
Cassandra is putting herself in a lot of incredibly potentially dangerous situations. How come none of the guys she was trying to deceit didn’t have weapons of any sort, or didn’t get mad that a woman played them?
All in all, the movie is tense, topical, and eye-opening for people who don’t believe victims of sexual harassment.
“Can you guess what every woman's worst nightmare is?”
You know, I find it genuinely concerning that some people are angry and upset over this movie. I mean, just look on IMDB. Film is subjective and it’s OK not to like this movie, but the thing I don’t understand is why certain people are upset with the themes this movie appropriately presents. Even through deep inside I know why. If it scares them, good, because they deserve to be scared.
‘Promising Young Woman’ is a rare revenge movie that crosses several genres with one sharp sweep. Some parts are funny, other times it’s romantic, but it can get DARK really quick. I thought the way it was executed was creative and interesting. It shocked me at times with its twist and turns, even though it shouldn’t be surprising. The world can be so dark and treacherous that being surprised by its twisted ways is a bit foolish. Certain elements felt realistic, while other elements of the movie felt...well, like a movie.
It’s nice to see that Carey Mulligan’s career is getting better and better. In this movie Mulligan delivers an amazing performance that was captivating to watch. It’s difficult to imagine an actor playing a character who is dealing with so much emotional baggage and vulnerability from past events in her life, but tries her best to conceal it, but Mulligan manages to find the right balance. She can be extremely funny, emotional, and really intimidating. Her drunk acting deserves some praise as well, because within the movie her character pretends to be drunk in bars or nightclubs, to trick “nice guys” who want take advantage on her intoxicated vulnerability, before she drops the act to scare them enough to teach them a lesson. The transformation from drunk to sober was nothing short of impressive.
I was surprised to see Bo Burnham here and it’s great seeing him getting acting roles. He is a man of many talents; comedy is one of them and in this movie he never fails to make me smile. Alison Brie and Alfred Molina are also in this movie and both did a great job in their small roles.
I give this movie major credit for being unpredictable. I would sometimes try to guess where the story might be heading, to only have the rug pulled right under me.
It was an interesting choice to cast likeable actors in the roles of predators and despicable people. The movie smartly suggests that people like these can easily hide their sinister side through a fake smile and popularity.
Now I’m being vague about certain things because I’m hoping what I’ve said so far might boost your interest in checking this one. I’m starting to do that now, going in blind and leaving impressed (hopefully).
Director and writer Emerald Fennell did a solid job on delivering a fresh and unique take on a brutal topic with extreme care on the subject matter. This is also her direct debut and everything I’ve seen on screen shows great potential for her as a filmmaker in the future. The look of the movie has that candy-like colour to it, which made the movie look visually appealing to the eye. Revenge has never looked so colourful.
Without spoiling the ending for the movie, but the way it concludes is very strange and rare. I was both sad and happy at the same time. However, it can also make or break the movie for some, while I was kind of mixed on it. Some parts of the ending were realistic, as it was a cold reminder for us that sometimes justice isn’t always severed.
Unfortunately, this is where my issues start to come in. When I said some parts of the ending was dark and realistic, well to me it didn’t quite commit to that with the last few minutes of the movie. I just wished they took more of a real approach to conclude the conflict that could be plausible. I also thought the movie was a little on the nose with its social message at times.
And that’s really it for issues. What, you expected more? Surprise!
Overall rating: Revenge is best severed in confetti and rainbow colours.
