Despite Everything, "Promising Young Woman" Has Its Place. (Movie Review and Analysis)

It's very fitting that I'm publishing this on the exact day Promising Young Woman was released, one year ago today. Happy Anniversary!

Trigger warnings: Sexual Assault, Suicide, Death.

Spoilers for Promising Young Woman below!

Can you guess what every woman’s worst nightmare is?

Writer and director Emerald Fennell standing with her Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

We don’t need to see the Academy Award-winning film Promising Young Woman to formulate an answer to this question. Just seeing these certain words together already gives us our answer. We know.

I was on the edge of my seat for months waiting to watch the 2020 release by writer and director Emerald Fennell. And after (finally!) watching it for the first time this September, all I want is to have the ability to rewatch this film for the first time over and over again. The feeling I had seeing the hot-pink winky-face over the explosive last chorus of “Angel of the Morning” can not be replicated. Nonetheless, was I devastated? Absolutely. Most viewers can say the same. But, I thought the film did an excellent job at giving us a looking glass into our own society. I truly cannot stop thinking about it! So, I wanted to discuss this film in terms of what I have learned in my classes in school and in life. This includes the views people have on sexual assault specifically towards women, the tropes it destroys, and the realities it rehashes.

Cassie, as portrayed by Carey Mulligan.

Here’s the premise: newly thirty-year-old Cassandra Thomas (Cassie) has been mourning the loss of her best friend Nina, who was raped at a party while attending medical school. Both Nina and Cassie drop out and soon after Nina dies, presumably of suicide. Cassie is completely empty inside. She works at a coffee shop, lives with her parents, and doesn’t have any friends. To fill the void she spends her time going to bars every night pretending to be black-out drunk, and when men try to take advantage of her, she stops them fully in their tracks by revealing her sober state and teaching them a lesson. Cassie uses this as a way to compensate for Nina’s loss, and possibly as a way for her to try and make sure it doesn’t happen to any other woman ever again. Her actions become more intense when she realizes Al Monroe, Nina’s rapist, is extremely successful. He’s an anesthesiologist and is about to get married. She then begins to target people who were, directly and indirectly, involved with Nina’s rape. And surprising to what some may believe, heightened by the marketing and initial public perception of this film, she doesn’t actually kill them! Cassie uses psychological torture within these conversations. She digs for collateral, in maybe not the best of ways, solidifying her anti-hero status. The only time she strives for physical violence is towards the end when she attempts to carve Nina's name into Al Monroe’s skin and… things don’t end well.

Let’s go in-depth for some people who are a part of Cassie’s master plan, and what they represent.

Madison McPhee played by Allison Brie.

Madison McPhee can be considered a woman who is “brainwashed by the patriarchy.” Although once friends with Cassie and Nina, she dismissed Nina’s assault as drama, victim-blames survivors, and continues to be close friends with Al Monroe. A smart move here on Fennell’s part: she is using the character of Madison to represent women who slut shame, victim blame, and treat female sexual assault survivors poorly. Some might consider this shocking, and they contemplate how some women can not be understanding when it comes to other women’s stories. But, it’s not as uncommon as you think, and there’s a reason why: “Women are blamed because they have nearly always been considered, legally and socially, to be worth less than men. They are satellites to male stars, auxiliaries, not full people in their own right. It's easier to discount their stories because it's easier to discount them as people” (Crockett). And that’s exactly what Madison does. She calls Nina’s accusations “crying wolf” and often makes excuses for abusers while trying to cover her own tracks. Madison also represents an anti-feminist stance. She plays into gender roles, talking about how all men want a “Good Girl” that can just stay at home. It wasn’t until Cassie paid a guy to take a drunk Madison into a hotel room that she was able to understand Nina’s situation. She woke up terrified and had the same exact thoughts that Cassie was trying to explain to her during their meeting. Although frankly, it was awful of Cassie to let someone believe they had been assaulted, Madison is changed by the event and later ends up giving Cassie the video of Nina being assaulted that would later be a key piece of evidence.

Dean Walker, portrayed by Connie Britton.

Cassie scourers after her former college Dean, Elizabeth Walker. Walker is imminent on giving boys “the benefit of the doubt.” She was the one to whom Nina reported her assault, and she did not do anything about it. Her reasoning was that she didn’t want to “ruin a young man’s life.” This is so common when men get accused of sexual assault, especially someone in good standing like Al Monroe. When Cassie makes Walker believe that she dropped her teenage daughter off with a group of college guys alone and with alcohol, Walker panics and then tells Cassie that she's been right all along. But why as women do we always have to be someone’s “something” in order to gain respect or understanding? The argument is always “what if it was your daughter?”, or “that woman was a mother”, or “she was a wife.” How about, this was a human being whose consent was violated- shouldn’t that be enough? Repeating Cassie’s own words “I guess it feels different when it’s someone you love.” But that’s a problem! And it’s still taking place today!

Jordan, portrayed by Alfred Molina.

Taking a turn here, Al’s old lawyer Jordan is out for forgiveness. He can’t sleep at night and is affected by what he’s done. Unlike Walker, he remembered Nina’s name and regrets bullying and threatening Nina until she dropped her case. He is able to call out the unethical workings of his job, that people search for photos of those women with alcohol in order to blame their assaults on them being drunk. He is the only one that Cassie forgives in the end and presents Cassie’s evidence to the police. Although what Jordan did was terrible and representative of a corrupt law system, he represented one purpose of this movie: to understand the culture at hand and change the way we think.

Ryan "ends toxic masculinity" while singing and dancing with Cassie to Paris Hilton's "Stars are Blind," which precedes a dare I say adorable montage taken straight out of a rom-com.

The strongest part of this film for me is its takedown of the “Nice Guy.” This is seen with not only Al Monroe in the way that he is successful and “loves” his fiancée, but mainly with Cassie’s love interest and old classmate, Ryan Cooper. Ryan is introduced as very awkward, funny, and as someone who means well. He’s the opposite of what someone would think a “predator” is. He’s self-deprecating and knows all the words to Paris Hilton’s “Stars Are Blind.” We talk so much about ending toxic masculinity as it’s hard for most men to admit to enjoying or having fun with “girly” things, which goes back to classic gender stereotypes: that “girly” things are stupid. But with Ryan, that’s not the case. Many would count these things as a “green flag.” You see, this has become common with many people. We just can’t help but award men for the bare minimum. I’ve seen so many TikToks that feature celebrities and say things like “guys I know I could trust with my drink” or “guys who wouldn't judge me in a bikini.” And they’re all celebrities that are seemingly nice and respectful to women. I’ve been guilty of this too, conversing with my friends, sending pictures of celebrities we think are cute, and going “I know they would treat me right!” But looks can be painfully deceiving at times because we really don’t know these people and what they’re capable of. As Cassie says to Al towards the climactic finale, “Sometimes gentlemen are the worst ones.” Funny enough, among these celebrities that are often categorized as women’s green flags, we often see Bo Burnham, who plays Ryan! I’ve known of Bo Burnham ever since I was about twelve after my cousin introduced me to his catchy comedy songs and persona. So seeing him play this role was wild for me and many others. This is another incredible choice in the film’s production. Emerald Fennell makes a purposeful decision here to cast well-known lovable actors (who are usually present in comedic roles) such as Bo Burnham, Allison Brie, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Chris Lowell as enablers and assaulters. We don’t think these people will end up playing bad people at first, we want to believe them and love them as we have before in the past. This is exactly how we treat people in real life who are accused of sexual assault: “We often don't want to do the work of reevaluating our personal heroes, of accepting that a powerful man who is a pillar of the community, or a world-renowned artist, or even the leader of the free world, could secretly be a monster” (Crockett). Although looking back on Ryan’s character specifically, it’s so easy to uncover his facade. Lots of what made him “cute” was actually just manipulation. When Ryan said he was still friendly with many of the guys from college, that was an immediate red flag for me! And it turned out Ryan was not so “nice” after all. He watched Nina get assaulted and laughed, enabled and defended everyone by saying “we were kids”, and then turned crude when called out. He also lied to the police about not knowing where Cassie was in order to protect himself. The sad reality is this happens in real life more often than you think.

The actors who play Promising Young Woman's "Nice Guys."

Al Monroe played by Chris Lowell.

Al Monroe is a complete coward when Cassie calls him out, which leads to him murdering her. And while he is literally suffocating her, he repeats “this is your fault.” He makes excuses for himself, and so does his friend Joe when they get rid of Cassie and cover up her murder. Notions like “He’s a good guy, he didn’t mean to” are all over society. While taking my gender studies class, we read a piece called “Betrayed by the Angel '' by Debra Anne Davis, and it broke my heart. She herself was affected by sexual assault, and it discussed a lot of the culture behind it, about how women are conditioned to just deal with men taking advantage of them. Here is when she describes her feelings after being assaulted: “Twenty years? Just for this? Just for doing this to me? Twenty years is a really long time. In fact, he got 35 years. On a plea bargain. The police, lawyers, the judge- the state, the legal system- even he, the criminal, the rapist, thought he deserved decades in jail for what he’s done to me. Why didn’t I?” (“Betrayed by the Angel”). It made my blood boil when Al Monroe blamed everyone else but him, and the fact that in reality, many women such as Debra Anna Davis blame themselves or think that it’s “not that bad” is truly torturous.

The way this film presents itself is super interesting. It’s candy-coated with bright colors everywhere. It shows Cassie wearing very soft colors, light pink and blue representing standard ideas of gender, and her hair in a braid with a cute bow. It represents a general “female gaze.” The film’s soundtrack is very pop-orientated as well, with the opening featuring a remix of “Boys” by Charli XCX, and a version of “It’s Raining Men.” The whole aesthetic delivers a dichotomy from the dark subject matter. In fact, a lot of the movie presents itself as a strange rom-com/drama. Some even tend to call this movie a “black comedy/thriller.” It’s one of the most unique parts because it highlights what we know to be “femininity” but also at the same time recognizes the influence of the “male-gaze” by having Cassie watch “blow-job” lip tutorials and have her final scene in a tight nurse outfit.

Cassie in her feminine style.

As much as I adore this film, there have been some criticisms of it and many reviews that have been rather polarizing, especially towards the film’s ending. Now, before I continue, I would like to preface this by saying that I would never want to diminish one’s feelings about a touchy movie like this one, especially for sexual assault survivors. It was hard to watch for many, and people have expressed that seeing Cassie die was not very pleasant and didn’t leave them with a good feeling. Not only do I understand this, but so does Emerald Fennell, “It’s a really difficult one, making anything like this because of course you can’t reflect everyone’s experience—and also, it would be wrong to try. It sounds Pollyanna-ish but I’m incredibly moved by the conversation, and for those people who it’s not for them, I just completely understand” (qtd. In Lemire). Many people felt upset with the marketing of this film, as it seemed that Cassie was going to “take the revenge” and “kill the disgusting men”, and they wanted it to be more “empowering” in that sense. I could definitely understand that because a lot of this movie showcases those realities, and sometimes we don’t want the harsh reality. Because for many it’s something they already know much about and have experienced themselves. I am a firm believer in watching movies to escape, and I agree that a film doesn’t need to be realistic to be good. I think there will always be a place for those certain films that have the “ultimate” revenge that ends with the woman smiling while sitting in a pool of blood, having audiences mutter “good for her” as the credits roll. But at the same time, I think movies can teach us things by showing social commentary through art. Think about the characters, they stem from real people. The Madison’s, Dean Walker’s, and Ryan’s of the real world. The people who openly or silently participate in the culture that blames and sexualizes women at their every move. Maybe they’ll be able to see the realities of it themselves. For anyone who felt empowered or disempowered I support you. But yes, I do feel as if they could have done a better job at marketing the movie. I get that it was supposed to be a bit misleading, but when it’s a super-sensitive subject, I think that could have been handled with more care.

Al at his wedding right when he realizes he's been caught.

I found it shocking when Fennell admitted that her original ending was supposed to end with Al Monroe getting away with it. It reminded me of another one of my favorite films, Get Out. Director Jordan Peele’s original ending was going to end in a similar manner with unfairness and absolutely no justice being served. The ending of Promising Young Woman left me with some hope, especially after watching it for the first time. I was smiling, excited that the evil Al Monroe was not going to get away with it. Although when I look back, even though it does seem like a “got ya” moment because yes, Al Monroe does get arrested, I think, but at what cost? Here’s the answer: two promising young women. They were intelligent, funny, and could have been amazing doctors. But they’re gone. And whose fault is it? Well, obviously Al’s, but also the culture and the people around him who let him succeed in thinking he was a good guy. This is the reason why we sit in classrooms and read stories similar to Debra Anne Davis’ or why survivors feel embarrassed or guilty. And I think that gives the film a great purpose, even if it, understandably, isn’t for everyone.

I don’t think this is a revenge movie as many people like to categorize it. Cassie’s “revenge” wasn’t satisfying per se, and it definitely wasn’t helping her cope- it was destroying her. These were some of the things Nina’s mom was telling Cassie herself, that she needed to “move on.” But Cassie just couldn’t. When you dig deeper and deeper into the story: this is a movie of guilt and heartbreak. Although she is calling out these men, it’s not fun. And as Fennell has stated about the character of Cassie, specifically when she goes to Al’s bachelor party, “She knows that there’s a chance that she could be in trouble, and that’s a chance she’s willing to take” ('Promising Young Woman' Ending Analyzed By Carey Mulligan And Emerald Fennell). She didn’t go into this wanting to die, and we can see that from when she’s fighting for her life, but she did know that finally confronting Al was what she needed to do, although unfortunately, it resulted in death. That guilt was something that intrigued me, and I felt this film stood out in that aspect.

Cassie in her iconic, final nurse outfit.

And yes, I don’t think this film is empowering. But, I would argue that it does have some feminist ideas. I feel as if not every “feminist” movie needs to be empowering (and I say this in a general sense, not in reference to earlier when I discussed people who have been personally harmed by the subject matter). I think clearly this film calls out issues that the patriarchy has created and upheld. But I agree that the ending being “happier” at the cause of the justice system, which this movie did happen to critique at times, was not exactly ideal or the most intersectional. I’ve also heard discussions about Laverne Cox’s character Gail, who does fall into a “supportive black best friend” trope. I think many people can wonder how the movie would be different if it reflected more women of color, queer women, and transgender women and their stories. Would they be able to do the same things as Cassie does? Would there still be that tiny bit of “justice at the end” for them?

I am open to all sides of the argument: whether this film is feminist or anti-feminist. Nevertheless, the reason why I love it is because it's dynamic. The fact that I put so much care into analyzing it makes me realize the strong impact it had on me. I loved the casting choices, the unique story that revolves around guilt (albeit heart-shattering), and the way it was visually presented to us. Although it has flaws, I can still see it and appreciate it for all its promise.

I wanted to end this by including a quote from Mikki Kendall. Although it has been said many times, I always feel as if it needs to be repeated. If you only take one thing away from this analysis, please let it be this:

“We must remember that every victim of sexual violence does not deserve it, did not invite it, and is not responsible for the culture that would blame the victim instead of the perpetrators” (66).

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Here is a TikTok that inspired me and made some good points!

https://www.tiktok.com/@jstoobs/video/7008581485041061125?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8q5j3jzI4F0AUdwrwh5nk7dpMll2s8N0oARSYsE3csvhqZ5LBOoqyoGouEgo%2BhISXHrUC1T0ZyjVVuGuWGgA%3D&checksum=4c9a95e32163666c97d504bed508b02a46efbff625e0c35c2189dbe9d3dd2eea&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAA50lpu0FLXA3sIyspbrVuEuBGTsCUHTY7YmckBzJ-VGzAmQ3mJfPrvPOI3QweckZs&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=7008581485041061125&share_link_id=080C65EB-0EBD-4641-8D9A-4C05060D6C47&source=h5_m&timestamp=1640418307&tt_from=copy&u_code=d58d7fef5cl92m&user_id=6670220682700570629&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy&_r=1

Also, I had to put this in! How cool is this to see a Cassie Sculpture made out of clay. Yay for art! (I recommend looking at this whole account she has amazing work!)

https://www.tiktok.com/@fauxshmoe/video/6930326245645290757?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8zdEc5a4Kbkc2xEQ2zPEbtVTCvRgxBmwmhKJTrozq9TpP%2FAilcY1%2BA0Qpgq%2BiKfpIxGGh7eLZUjac6Nr9GgA%3D&checksum=a2e5fbe6e585bab20c2bf908265e30c99d14dbc43f603ddc83db30894ab7c02c&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAA50lpu0FLXA3sIyspbrVuEuBGTsCUHTY7YmckBzJ-VGzAmQ3mJfPrvPOI3QweckZs&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=6930326245645290757&share_link_id=217D8CAD-73AC-462F-B012-97959EF24E12&source=h5_m&timestamp=1640418367&tt_from=copy&u_code=d58d7fef5cl92m&user_id=6670220682700570629&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy&_r=1

Works Cited

Crockett, Emily. “Rape and Sexual Assault Are Common. So Why Don't We Believe Victims?” Vox, 17 Oct. 2016, https://www.vox.com/2016/5/1/11538748/believe-rape-victims.

Davis, Debra Anne. “Betrayed By The Angel.” 2004. From Gendered Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings 7th Edition by Susan M. Shaw and Janet Lee. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2017.

Kendall, Mikki. Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot. Penguin Books, 2020.

Lemire, Christy. “Emerald Fennell on Promising Young Woman, Responses to the Film, and More: Interviews: Roger Ebert.” Roger Ebert, Ebert Digital LLC, 31 Mar. 2021, https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/emerald-Fennell-promising-young-woman-interview.

“Promising Young Woman” Ending Analyzed By Carey Mulligan And Emerald Fennell.” YouTube, uploaded by Variety, 17 January 2021.