Promising Young Woman – A Sharp Revenge Thriller

For our review of Promising Young Woman from Sundance 2020, click here.

If 2020 ever did anything else. while it didn’t look possible, Promising Young Woman will finally be released before the end of 2020 (editor’s note: this review was written on December 9th before the announcement of lockdowns and the rise of COVID-19 cases therefore the original Christmas Day release was further limited but a PVOD release on January 15th will hopefully lead to a wider audience). Having seen the film once prior near the beginning of the year, it’s only fitting that it essentially bookends 2020. Of course, this fact adds some newfound perspective the second time around and this was definitely the case here. In the end, this is certainly a film that has something to say about the #metoo movement and the culture of the gaslighting of women while the powerful way it goes about it will surely be remembered long after the credits roll. Brimming with fiery style and a sharp original screenplay alongside a dynamite lead performance from Carey Mulligan, the film is a relentless watch that pulls viewers in, taking them on a roller coaster ride, and doesn’t let go. 

Promising Young Woman tells the story of Cassandra Thomas (Mulligan), a woman on her way to a promising future until a tragic event derailed that and set her on a much different path. Things weren’t always what they seemed with her as she used her smarts and cunning while living a secret double life at night. Early on, it was clear that Cassie was at it for a while but the return of a person from her past, a man named Ryan (Burnham), put her into a position to go about writing the wrongs of her past. Her actions up that point felt like they were leading to that point. One of the best parts of the film was its pacing as it systematically went about its business in a compelling way. While the first act sets the stage and tone nicely, the film was ultimately at its best once Cassie methodically took a wrecking ball to her past as the truth behind what happened in her past slowly came back to the surface and those responsible for it got what was coming to them. 

As has often been the case, though the world had seemingly forgotten what had happened and moved on for the most part, Cassie felt differently while continuing her pursuit for justice. This compulsion consumed her but despite the public face she put on, her actions came from a place of pain. Among that darkness were some bright spots, however, as Cassie and Ryan’s relationship was a fun one to watch. If anything, it provided a nice albeit temporary distraction. At the end of the day, Promising Young Woman did a great job at breaking through all of that to give us the best of both worlds in delivering an impactful character study masquerading as an intense, slow burn revenge thriller with surprisingly funny moments of dark comedy sprinkled throughout. The film treads that fine line better than most, and not letting it get in the way of its message, thanks to a script that doesn’t play its hand right away, taking us on an emotional, not to mention entertaining, roller coaster all the way until the end. 

Meanwhile, story aside, a big takeaway of Promising Young Woman is its sense of style, from its neon-lit aesthetic, to its use of color and contrast, to its set design, and its soundtrack, it all fits together, resulting in a cool watch for sure. What ties it all together was Mulligan’s exceptional lead performance as Cassie. She was easily the best part of the film and was fun to watch as she was clearly having a blast while bringing boatloads of energy and getting to show off her impressive range. Mulligan grounds the craziness and cuts through all the noise as a damaged woman. Her resulting actions work so well and are more impactful as she pulls viewers into Cassie’s trauma. Burnham got to show a softer side as Ryan, using his charm and still getting to show some of his comedic chops. His chemistry with Mulligan was superb.

Overall, Promising Young Woman is still a a timely force of nature, maybe even more so now. that will remain with audiences long after watching it. 

*still courtesy of Focus Features*

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.