top of page

Promising Young Woman - A Subversive Revenge Film (SPOILER WARNING INCLUDED)

Prakruthi Desai


PART 1- A SPOILER FREE REVIEW

Promising Young Woman 2020

Promising Young Woman (2020), the directorial debut of Emerald Fennell, is a

brilliant commentary on social justice and rape culture, while seamlessly

blending multiple genres. What starts as a vigilante thriller morphs into a dark

comedy, with a rom-com-esque montage to a Britney Spears song, and ends

as a rape revenge film. The rape revenge fantasy sub-genre, although

controversial in some of its interpretations, has become an integral part of the

feminist cinema canon. Featuring blood-soaked women committing cathartic

violence to avenge themselves, these films have a unique appeal. Think of the

Kill Bill movies or Revenge (2017).



What makes the genre controversial, however, is the uncomfortable

fetishization of abuse and assault that the female protagonist must endure

before she snaps and takes her bloody revenge, guns ablaze. Promising Young

Woman thrives because it is a revenge film without the violence. The movie,

starring Carey Mulligan and Bo Burnham in lead roles, is about Cassie, a

troubled young woman reeling from the assault and consequent death of her

best friend, Nina. Nina is assaulted at a party in medical school, leading both

Cassie and Nina to drop out, with Nina tragically taking her own life. The film

follows Cassie as she navigates her grief and anger while carefully planning to

avenge her friend.


Promising Young Woman is subversive because, while the assault on Nina

drives the movie, it is never shown on camera. In fact, the word "rape" isn't

even used in the movie, proving that a rape revenge fantasy can pack its

punches without resorting to abject violence for shock value. Throughout the

film, Cassie meets with characters from her past: classmates from medical

school, the Dean of the school, and the lawyer who defended the perpetrator.

The film exposes society's double standards and drives home the point that an

ecosystem of denial and excuses exists to protect men from facing the

consequences of their own actions. Characters question Nina's character,

blame her for being drunk, turn it into a "he said - she said" situation, and

ultimately the perpetrator is left scot-free, lest his promising career is ruined.

Even the title, "Promising Young Woman," references a comment made by a

judge during a high-profile criminal case involving an assault at a Stanford

University fraternity party. The judge remarked that the perpetrator, Brock

Turner, was a "promising young man," and thus, he was only sentenced to six

months in jail, of which he served only three. But what about the women who

attend the same universities and have equally bright careers ahead of them?

What's interesting is, while the subject matter of the film might be dark, the

movie visually certainly isn't. With a bright youthful palette and a bubblegum

pop aesthetic, the movie is visually a stark contrast to its dark themes, making

it even more impactful. Carey Mulligan delivers a brilliant performance, dressed

in pastel sundresses and bow-tied hair. Even the soundtrack is quintessential

bubbly pop music.

Promising Young Woman is a unique and important movie that exposes the

"nice guys" in society for their false sincerity and complacency in perpetuating

rape culture. If you haven't already watched the movie, you must.


PART 2- Stop reading here if you want to avoid spoilers.

Oscars 2020

While "Promising Young Woman" does a lot of things right, the one thing it does

perfectly is subversive casting. Carey Mulligan plays Cassie, perhaps named

after the Greek priestess Cassandra, who has the power of prophecy but is

cursed so that no one believes her. The supporting cast is stacked with notable

names such as Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Connie Britton, Max Greenfield, and

Alfred Molina, among others. The casting is important because most of the cast

is familiar to us as the lovable, goofy characters next door from various

sitcoms. When you look at Alison Brie, you think of Annie from "Community,"

Max Greenfield reminds you of the adorkable Schmidt from "New Girl." They lull

you in with the comfort of familiarity, only to reveal that these characters are in

fact despicable and have actively worked towards bringing Nina, and even

Cassie, down.


The most brutal betrayal is perhaps that of Ryan, played by Bo

Burnham, who is introduced as a clichéd rom-com protagonist for Cassie. Her

knight in shining armor, as he draws her out of her shell. We are charmed as

well; we think he's one of the good ones, only for it to be revealed that he's just

as complacent as the others. An outlier in this is Alfred Molina, who we know as

the chilling villain of the Spiderman franchise. When we see him as the

perpetrators' defense lawyer, a sense of unease creeps into us. He is, in fact,

the only character from Cassie and Nina's past who redeems himself. He is

ashamed and troubled by his actions. Ultimately, by the end of the movie, he

atones for his past.


The end of the film is perhaps the most controversial subversion of the rape

revenge genre. Usually, the spurned woman kills those who have wronged her

and obtains a sense of catharsis, both for her and the audience. However,

Cassie dies. She is smothered to death by the same Al Monroe who assaulted

Nina years ago. As the painful scene plays out, we lose hope; Cassie doesn't

win. She dies. The movie, however, doesn't end on that note. Al is arrested, not

for Nina's assault, but for Cassie's murder. Cassie knew she was going to die;

she planned for her death. She knew she had to die for Al to be found guilty. It

is unsettling, but seeing Al arrested just when he thinks he's gotten away with it

is satisfying and cathartic in its own way.



Promising Young Woman is essential viewing for its incredible screenplay,

amazing casting and performances, and ultimately its near-perfect subversion

of the classic revenge film.


Carey Mulligan- Promising Young Woman 2020

Recent Posts

See All

コメント


bottom of page