Promising Young Woman Review
A promising young woman goes after the whole system.
In a devastating year for films—or lack thereof—finally comes a film that shines among the unending delays and streaming service releases. Promising Young Woman gives audiences a reason to go back to theaters, and it is truly the best film that I have seen since 2020 began.
The film focuses on a woman taking revenge on the people in our society that allow men to sexually assault, harass, and rape women and then get away with it. However, rather than focusing on being a “man-hating” flick about how there is no such thing as a truly “nice” guy, the film and its protagonist, Cassandra (outstandingly played by Carey Mulligan), target the entire system and all who are involved in allowing “promising young men” to walk free from their atrocious actions and move on to great lives. From the pigs themselves, to the lawyers who defend them, to the girls who slut-shame the victim, to the people in power, Promising Young Woman goes after everybody.
There is so much to rave about in this film. It’s really hard to say a movie about the topic of sexual violence is ever enjoyable, but, because of the careful direction, masterful writing, and great performances, Promising Young Woman actually really is. It’s surprisingly funny, its characters are complicated and layered, and it handles really difficult material with grace and care—airing on the side of implied violence rather than explicitly showing anything (for the most part). I thought this film would be an unsettling, painful viewing experience, however, it ended up being really satisfying. That’s not to say that the subject matter is not disturbing and difficult—any film that focuses on the violence of this nature is going to be hard to watch at times—and Promising Young Woman refuses to pull punches when it handles its toughest moments. But the film works tirelessly to handle this matter with care, for the sake of the millions of women that have undergone a similar trauma to the characters of the film. No sexual violence is depicted on-screen, and the film focuses on the trauma caused by this flawed system and the revenge of those involved rather than on the horror of the act.
Instead, Promising Young Woman flips the patriarchy on its head. It puts its male characters in positions of vulnerability, allowing for a demonstration of double standards and sick behavior enacted on them. There’s a hilarious moment in the film in which Cassandra turns a few construction workers’ gross catcalling into a lesson of sorts. Their discomfort with her actions leads them to call her “crazy” and “psycho”, demonstrating to the audience the irony of the situation but also the narrative in the dominant discourse of our society. Women that don’t conform to the unjust norms of our culture are often deemed as “crazy”. This is hardly the only instance as well.
This subversion of the patriarchal norms is possible through the great writing, but also Carrie Mulligan’s unbelievable performance. She shines as Cass. The emotional weight of the film relies entirely on her. She is transcendent, allowing for the viewers to understand so much about a character that has little backstory and interiority outwardly explained.
Promising Young Woman was, surprisingly, hysterical. This was accomplished with the help of a star-studded supporting cast, with Bo Burnham as the standout of the ensemble. And, wow, talk about a cast. Its one of my favorite aspects of this film; the hiring of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars allows for a message on two fronts. The first is obviously the #MeToo movement. Seeing your favorite actors in these roles reminds the audience of how prevalent these men are in all facets of our lives, especially behind closed doors of the entertainment industry. The second is through the subversion of the audience’s expectations. Seeing McLovin, Adam Brody, Alfred Molina, and Allison Brie in these roles is unlike anything we have seen of them before. Their performances—although brief—are so vastly unlike the public perception of who they are in reality. It calls attention to the “nice” men and women we hold as models for behavior, and how our perceptions can be so very wrong.
I cannot urge those reading this enough to rent Promising Young Woman. It is worth every cent that it costs. Final score: 9/10
