Review of Promising Young Woman (2020) by Islandreview — 22 Feb 2021

Promising Young Woman is a new thiller out now produced by Margot Robbie starring Carey Mulligan as Cassie, a deeply affected and possibly disturbed woman hellbent on seeking vengeance for her friend Nina, who was raped at a frat party. Due to the emotional and psychological affects, Nina drops out of Med school and commits suicide.

The events of Nina's assault and subsequent declining health have deeply affected Cassie and she is tormented by the memory of her once vibrant friend. Cassie wants to move on but she doesn't feel she can do so until all the people involved in Nina's rape and its cover up have been punished. Cassie even takes it a step further by luring unsuspecting men (predators) under the guise of being drunk, (much like Nina was) to teach them a much needed lesson. Cassie's vengeance becomes an obsession, one that threatens to consume her.

PYW is a very emotional movie and it primarily focuses on the dangers women face by using various situations and tropes like the "good guy" and what that even means to men. It takes a look at what kind of man is considered a predator and how physical, financial or social status doesn't dictate who is or isn't. Aside from highlighting sexual assault itself and the after affects, we also get a front row seat into several moral arguments such as rape and intoxication, the credibility of a victim being questioned based on their sexual history and the importance of protecting our sons outweighing the need to protect our daughters. More importantly, how victims can be discredited and ignored by a system put in place to protect society's "promising young men".

Carey Mulligan is a talented actress and she does not disappoint in this film. The visuals of Cassie's wild nights and monotonous days perfectly highlight the character. She is consumed by vengeance and she spends her days being perfectly normal and invisible (almost ghostly) only to come alive and stalk the bars and clubs at night.

I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would honestly. My one criticism is that the ending seemed a little far fetched to me but other than that I felt this movie did the job it promised.

Overall: 7.