The motion picture Promising Young Woman is an engrossing film that reveals – at times brilliantly – all is not what seems to be.
Written and Directed by Emerald Fennell (The Crown, Killing Eve) Promising Young Woman is quirky and clever at presenting human and societal convention, flaw, weakness, obliviousness and revenge. Promising Young Woman is not a film that telegraphs its direction. In fact, it is a film that plays to a viewers’ likely weakness (some might argue laziness) to pre-judge where the narrative is headed. To pre-judge A Promising Young Woman will prove you a fool.
Carey Mulligan (The Dig, An Education, Shame) is a young woman with promise. She also has a promise – to herself – for which to keep. As Cassandra, Mulligan almost perfectly demonstrates boredom – bordering on contempt – for those desiring her to realize the promise she possesses. With equal cunning, and acumen Mulligan executes her plan to penalize persons who seize upon the opportunity take advantage of the weak, and hide behind privilege and social standing to avoid accountability.
Promising Young Woman is a winding road of a movie and worth all its 114 minutes of travel.
