Promising Young Woman

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon, Laverne Cox, Adam Brody, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Max Greenfield, Chris Lowell, Sam Richardson, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge
Director: Emerald Fennell
Once promising med student Cassie (Carey Mulligan), who was forced to drop out after a terrible incident involving her friend Nina where the school did nothing to help, now lives at home with her parents and works a job as a barista at a small coffee shop. Fueled by what happened to Nina, Cassie spends her nights pretending to be blackout drunk at bars so she can teach "nice guys" who make unwanted advances on her a lesson. Enter Ryan (Bo Burnham), a pediatric surgeon who went to med school with Cassie and has finally worked up the courage to ask her out. While she initially says no, Ryan does appear to be a genuinely nice and respectful man and they begin a relationship. The past comes back to haunt her when she hears that Al Monroe (Chris Lowell), who was responsible for what happened to Nina, is getting married. Cassie soon embarks on a journey for revenge against not only Al but everyone responsible for what happened to Nina as well.
Equal parts revenge thriller, dark comedy, and romantic drama, it’s a testament to writer-director Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve) that it all comes together to pack the emotional gut punch that it does. Fennell has crafted an important and powerful indictment of rape culture and the society we live in that enables it.
Cassie is a very complicated character, especially when she has to resort to occasionally questionable methods to fulfill her revenge. Despite this, you're glued to your seat and behind her every step of the way in large part thanks to Carey Mulligan's emotional and powerhouse performance. Cassie's anger and desire for revenge is fully realized, understandable, and justified in Mulligan's performance and I hope that she, the script, and Fennell's direction are not forgotten come awards season. Former stand up comedian Bo Burnham is equally impressive as the charming Ryan. Burnham doesn't act in front of the camera often but Fennell is able to channel his inherent likability to her advantage, especially when he and Mulligan lip sync to Paris Hilton's "Stars are Blind" in one of the funniest scenes in the film.
I also have to commend the film for one of the boldest endings I've seen in a while. Without spoiling it, I can tell you it is tense, dark, and brutal. It is sure to be a divisive one but I felt it was well earned.
This had been one of my most anticipated films of the year and it did not disappoint. It's a fantastic feature debut filled with impressive performances, an important message, and a killer soundtrack of pop tunes scored as classical music.
A must see.
Grade: A
Promising Young Woman is currently in theaters and available on PVOD.
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