The title character of “Promising Young Woman” can be expected to be Cassandra Thomas (Carey Mulligan, who appeared in “Salon Talks” to talk about the film), a former medical student who is now underperforming behind the counter at a cafe run by Gail (Laverne Cox, in best support friend mode). But, as this clever and satisfying comedy thriller shows – written and directed by Emerald Fennell (“Killing Eve” and “The Crown”) in his film debut, not everything is as it seems.
Watch the pre-credit sequence where Cassie is sprawled in a bar, too drunk to stand. Jerry (Adam Brody) claims he is a gentleman and offers to take her home. Instead, he takes her home, filling her with more alcohol and taking her to bed, where he thinks he will get what he wants with her. Jerry is surprised to remove Cassie’s panties.
“Promising young woman” is full of surprises, and that is what makes this film so delicious. Cassie may be 30 and live at home after dropping out of medical school, but she is an intelligent and determined woman. It is soon revealed that Cassie is demanding a very specific form of revenge to counteract the wrong done to her best friend Nina years ago. It may be a form of penance, but Cassie feels it is for the good of society.
Cassie’s plan is triggered after she reconnects with Ryan (Bo Burnham of “Eighth Grade”), a charming (although some may say smug) pediatric surgeon who met her in her medical school days. Ryan is in love with Cassie, and she reluctantly agrees to go out with him. When he mentions his former classmates, Cassie starts tracking them. Each of them was involved in a criminal episode involving Nina, and Cassie is trying to do justice to her own brand for her friend.
Mulligan gives a brave performance here, sliding in a series of characters in an effort to achieve a kind of closure. (She is stealthy, reminiscent of Michelle Pfeiffer). While she meets separately with Madison (Alison Brie) and Dean Walker (Connie Britton), she makes the two of them squirm as they confront them with the uncomfortable truth about what happened to Nina. Suffice it to say that after their encounters with Cassie, minds have changed.
It is best not to reveal much about “a promising young woman”, but what can be said is that Cassie really wants to teach people a lesson on how to treat women. She has fun repressing the unsuspecting Neil (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a boyfriend who thinks “they have a connection” but can’t remember her name. This moment is practically a dress rehearsal for what she does with some of the other guys she craves.
Fennell’s film is a fantasy of revenge and wish fulfillment, and the spectators who accompany the tour will be entertained. There is undeniable pleasure in seeing Cassie get the best of men. Even in a disposable scene – where a truck driver yells at her for stopping in the middle of a traffic lane – Cassie responds loudly with a wheel wrench.
That said, one of the most curious scenes has Cassie offering sympathy to a man who really shows some contrition and regret for his past actions. Her ability to forgive him is touching, showing that she is capable of changing herself.
Likewise, there is a key scene in which Cassie meets Nina’s mother (Molly Shannon), who tries to convince her daughter’s friend that it’s time to leave the past. The film also briefly suggests that Cassie had psychological problems after the tragedy, a point that could have been explored more fully.
Instead, “Promising young woman” changes her tone again. This irregular film sinks during an editing sequence in which Cassie and Ryan sing for Paris Hilton in a pharmacy. There is a reason why the relationship with Ryan is emphasized, but as the pieces of the story come together, things fit together perfectly. It is a pity that this carefully constructed plan starts to look artificial.
But Fennell (like Cassie) has a twist (or two) planned as the film approaches its disturbing climactic confrontation. The filmmaker obviously takes pleasure in pulling the carpet and the floor under everyone.
Watch “Salon Talks”: Carey Mulligan speaks “Promising Young Woman”, a story of feminist revenge forever
“Promising young woman” certainly shows how women always deserve to be treated by men with respect and dignity. Delivering this message in an intelligent structure, as Fennell did, will certainly make everything go smoothly. That said, it would not be surprising if this film enabled women to take more responsibility and control like Cassie, rather than causing men to change their behavior. But that is why this bold film works. It is sure to spark the debate.
“Promising young woman” opens in theaters on Christmas Day.