Emerald Fennell has penned and directed a powerful debut with Promising Young Woman, a revenge drama staring Carey Mulligan.
“Can you guess what every woman’s worst nightmare is?”
Says Cassandra, played by Carey Mulligan, who is on a dark path to revenge because of grief from her past, preying on “nice-guys” at nightclubs to make them realize how perverted they are when it comes to rescuing drunk girls at pubs and clubs. Cassandra has been projected in a candy-colored world where she still lives with her parents, who are desperate enough to make her move out of their house, works at a coffee shop by day, and by night, is on a mission to lay a trap for the “nice-guys”. She also loves to keep a tally of her success by writing their names in her diary.
Carey Mulligan portrays Cassandra in an exceptional, flawless, and convincing manner by making her look confident, sometimes messy, determined, and tough, even though she is old enough to settle down and have kids. She is trying to dismantle the age-old patriarchal norms by fighting for justice for her friend, Nina.
The film’s opening reveals the protagonist’s mission as already having been in motion for a long time, and Fennell gradually builds up tension to keep us engaged and curious about her heroine and how far she might go next. Even though the plot is dark and laced with suspense, there is a strong essence of satirical comedy in the background, that will actually crack the audience up.
Mulligan is so versatile when the ark of the plot shifts to a romantic angle as Cassandra falls for a nice guy named Ryan, her old classmate, played by Bo Burnham. She makes us convinced that not all nice guys can be evil, and her character turns soft, sweet, forgiving, and understanding, giving us hope about trust and love. The chemistry between them is so innocent, honest, and believable, both of them synced so well with one another.
A meeting with an old friend brings the old Cassandra back, however, and this time she’s more resolute to take down male privilege and morality about rape and women. Fennell forces this traumatized woman to use her pain as a weapon to get justice, ending with an unpredictable twist and a bang, even though Fennell knows that it’s hard for her heroine to bring a major change in society about rape and male privileges.
Promising Young Woman features a brilliant storyline, an unmatched performance by Carey Mulligan, and fantastic direction by Emerald Fennell.
Fun Fact:
The title is a reference to Brock Turner, a Stanford University student who was convicted of sexual assault in 2016. Despite his conviction, he was referred to by some as a “Promising Young Man.”
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