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.
XL
-Brandon Collins
The Nest
This tale of a family uprooting their lives to move to the countryside in London for their egotistical delusional patriarch has the slow burn of a really intense, harrowing suspense film disguised as a family drama. None of the characters are particularly likeable but that's not the point. This film examines broken promises, spirits and more importantly finances.
Rory is one of the most selfish, manipulative characters since Adam Sandler's Howard Ratner blessed our screens in "Uncut Gems". While Sandler played his character as a blowhard, Rory tries to smooth talk his way through every conversation and negotiation but unlike in "Uncut Gems", he doesn't win in the end. Jude Law gives the best performance of his career as a white collar con artist who keeps looking for the next big thing at the detriment of his family, specifically his wife Allison.
Having been the submissive and unconfident partner throughout their relationship, Allison begins to retake control of her life after realizing that Rory refuses to accept reality. Allison slowly begins to understand how much Rory is trying to fake being high class, which leaves her disturbed by the alternative reality that he seems to be living in. The house Rory rents out for a year in the countryside is so big that they can't even afford to furnish it. Does this stop Rory from pretending to pursue ANOTHER property in London? Of course not. Played with deep hurt and resentment by Carrie Coon, Allison and Rory's relationship comes to a head in the third act which allows for both actors to showcase their skills. In a different awards season, both would be frontrunners in the Best Actor and Actress races.
Director Sean Durkin, whose last film was the Elisabeth Olsen cult thriller "Martha Marcy May Marlene", creates a mood that becomes more claustrophobic as you see the consequences of bad decisions and manipulation. What could have been a pretty formulaic family drama actually plans out closer to a domestic horror film than anything, which I think makes this more than worth a watch!
Large
- Brandon Collins