Promising Young Woman

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Adam Brody, Jennifer Coolidge, Ray Nicholson, Sam Richardson, Laverne Cox, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon, Alfred Molina (uncredited)
Directed by: Emerald Fennell
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2020

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Carey Mulligan) traumatized by events that happened to her friend at school seeks vengeance against predatory men.

Review:

Tim: I didn't know what to expect heading into Promising Young Woman. It got terrific reviews from critics, was nominated for 5 Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and it won 1, Best Original Screenplay. I thoroughly enjoyed Emerald Fennell's unique and memorable film. I didn't quite think it reached "great" status, but it was something to behold, for sure.

First off, I appreciate the film's message. In this era of "Me Too", the behavior of men needs to be reexamined. I'm speaking as a white male here. Forever, men have been given a pass, had their inexcusable behavior excused as authority figures looked the other way. This movie examines those themes. It takes a deep look at "nice" guys and the very bad things they do. Very little about this movie is easy to watch, but it's important.

Emerald Fennell is certainly someone to watch. This is an impressive feature film directorial debut. Her only previous directorial experience is one short film. While Fennell can't quite elevate this film to greatness, she directs a memorable, powerful movie. She directs from a place of having a unique voice and competence and confidence in her abilities. I suspect she'll continue to impress with her future films.

This story takes on a twisting, unpredictable ride. It felt like it took me a while to really grasp what was happening here. In some ways, that was okay- the mystery of what drove this character unfolds in due time and it's worth the wait. In others, it felt like Fennell needed to be much clearer. I really was confused about what she was doing with these men- was she murdering them? Being in the dark on those things was a bit annoying. I think she could have done a better job of clearly outlining the film, verses having it be confusing for some time. The story does take some wonderfully unexpected turns. I had a fun time (once the ground rules were established) following this weaving, darting story. There were definitely surprises throughout the film. I enjoyed how Fennell played with our expectations. There's a few moments that probably feel more believable on paper than they do on screen. You'll definitely need to suspend your disbelief at a few critical junctures.

The film's brightest star here is Carey Mulligan. I've never been a huge Mulligan fan, although I do recognize her considerable talent. She gave a tremendous performance here and did a lot to shift my thinking about her. She gives an effortless looking performance that's filled with depth and darkness. It's the kind of role people dream about and she more than rises to the occasion. There's moments where she ratchets up the charisma and you can see how people would fall for her. And there's others where her simmering undercurrent nearly breaks free past her surface that leave you reeling. She was excellent here.

I was also really impressed with Bo Burnham. I've been a Burnham comedy fan for a long time- I think he's brilliant and obviously funny. I wasn't expected such a solid performance from him. I'm not sure I'd consider him a truly effective actor at this stage, but he gives a really strong performance. He worked well with Mulligan. Burnham absolutely was such a pleasant, unexpected surprise here. I'm a big Alison Brie fan and enjoyed her performance here. While she's such a likeable actress, she's good at playing these unlikable roles, too. Clancy Brown and Jennifer Coolidge had smaller roles, but they made an impact. I really enjoyed Alfred Molina's supporting role, too. He's always an underrated actor. It was fun to see Adam Brody, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Sam Richardson, and Molly Shannon in smaller supporting roles. Connie Britton was very memorable in one of the film's most chilling and best scenes. Looking at the cast as a whole, it's very impressive.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and Fennell's writing, it felt like her inexperience as a director might have hurt the movie just a bit. It was effective, at times mesmerizing, but I never really loved the characters. It took me a long time to figure out how I felt about them. The ending of the movie was so critical- the entire story builds to the conclusion and Fennell doesn't quite stick the landing. It's memorable, surprising, and effective. And yet, it feels ridiculous, too. It ventures too far into "wish fulfillment" territory. It pulls all the loose ends together, but the way it does it feels forced, too convenient, and ultimately, a tad unsatisfying. More than anything else, the conclusion is why I'd consider this a "really good" but not "great" movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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