Promising Young Woman
Promising Young Woman is something I had absolutely no expectations for. I had seen a trailer for it a few months ago in passing and thought, "Hmm...that looks interesting" but didn't give it a second thought until I was provided with a press screener. What I got was an exhilarating, incredibly uncomfortable film that somehow pulls off what some may view as a divisive third act.
Carey Mulligan plays Cassie, a 30 year old woman who is still dealing with a traumatic incident from her time in medical school involving her childhood best friend. Her way of dealing with this trauma is by pretending to be drunk and then confronting the "nice guys" who take her home from whatever bar or club they failed to woo a potential partner in. The first victim we meet is played by OC alum Adam Brody (who has been killing it lately with this and "The Kid Detective") but it is later revealed through her notebook of secrets that Cassie has been doing this for quite some time.
Cassie's life is in limbo with her working a dead end job at a charming cafe owned by Laverne Cox's character. Things start getting real interesting with the appearance of an old med school classmate named Ryan (Bo Burnham). While Ryan gives Cassie's cause a real target - she finds out the guy who sexually assaulted her friend is getting married, he also gives her glimmers of promise (no pun intended). Is Ryan really a nice guy or is he full of slimy actions just like all of the other men Cassie encounters?
I have never seen "Killing Eve" but that will need to change ASAP after watching Emerald Fennell's feature film debut. The writing, pacing, performances (particularly Mulligan and Allison Brie) are captivating and keep you on your toes the entire time. Everyone brought their A game to this. While it is tough to watch in some moments, you want Cassie to still be ok in the end. Whether or not things pan out well is left for you to see when you watch this phenomenal movie that is likely to rack up several nominations and awards over the next few months.
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-Brandon Collins
