Promising Young Woman

It's a refreshing mix of an unadventurous romantic relationship film and a drama with a social subtext. The film opens up and tackles today's hot topics such as the ills of social networks, sexual violence and, last but not least, the eternal well of ideas in the form of pigeonholing and clientelism. At times it feels a bit like Basic Instinct without the explicit violence, Jerry Goldsmith and the ice pick, but it is endearingly nerdy or, coldly formulaic and sophisticated. Mulligan in her best role in years and thank goodness the ending isn't messed up and needlessly overdone. The only thing that really jumps out at you are the occasional moments where the characters can do 100 different things, but they do the one that fits the story so that the plot can continue. (20/04/2021)

I watched Promising Young Woman without watching the trailer or doing any further research about the film, and I was definitely surprised by the final product. The plot, involving a a crime for which the statute of limitations has expired, is nothing we haven't seen elsewhere before, and you figure out pretty soon what actually happened back then. But the film's engaging element is the ambiguous character of Cassie and her (slightly) sociopathic cat-and-mouse game, which has a justifiable reason. While there is a perceptible wink to the #metoo campaign, I found it non-violent and unobtrusive in its execution. So for just under two hours, to the soundtrack of (at times playfully adapted) familiar hits, I was swept along on a journey of revenge, the conclusion of which annoyed me to some extent but ultimately satisfied me. P.S. In the end I was reminded of The Life of David Gale. (18/04/2021)

Razor-sharp one moment, borderline cringe the next, yet sufficiently provocative and compelling at the same time. The story is obviously mining the current social discourse, but I don't necessarily consider that anything bad. The reason is that it's terribly important whether the filmmakers are capable of working with the story in such a way as to make a good film. In this case, fortunately, they were. It is, of course, feminist all the way, and intellectually bare macho individuals will be disgusted by the overly one-sided female perspective that doesn't differentiate men into good and bad and only classifies their level of character reprehensibility. The personal scorecard in the form of an old-school written diary is one of the biggest cringe moments; on the other hand, it perfectly illustrates the stubbornness and the main character's own hangups. I'm far from suggesting that the cynical recording of all the results could have the slightest cathartic effect on the central character's psyche, yet I can't identify her motivation here in any greater detail. And I actually enjoy thinking about it that way, because Cassie is certainly not portrayed as a black and white character here. Thus, Promising Young Woman definitely has something to offer in the end, as she manages to use all the craziness surrounding the #metoo movement to build seemingly absurd yet compelling themes. [75%] (10/04/2021)

A solid crime thriller starring the brilliant and good-looking Carey Mulligan, who at 36 looks great. The protagonist is traumatized by a tragic event from the past and seeks revenge on all men who abuse women under the influence of alcohol. The concept is great and it's a bit of a shame that the film avoids violence, as in a few scenes it clearly called for it, but it seems to be aimed at academic awards, so maybe that's why. The film flows at a good pace, can be funny in certain scenes, occasionally creates a decent psycho atmosphere, and the ending is definitely unexpected, although not entirely satisfying. A decent film that captivates more with its story, actors, and atmosphere, and if it didn't shy away from brutality, it would be even better. Story****, Action>No, Humor***, Violence>No, Entertainment****, Music***, Visual****, Atmosphere****, Tension***. 7.5/10. (09/01/2021)

Promising Young Woman is a revenge-flick product of the #metoo mindset in a pop package with a pleasing cast and more thorough characterisation of the protagonist than we are used to from thematically similar revenge-horror movies. Carey Mulligan is cute, but the mentions of “Oscar-worthy” acting are off base. Besides that, the film in no way goes beyond the creative boundaries of playful fluff, which is original only in its placement of the given theme in the A-list mainstreem. Conversely, the would-be screenwriting magic in the climax serves as confirmation of the film’s creative limits within the confines of a mere fresh teen drama. Plying the same waters, Assassination Nation was bolder and more stylish. (27/01/2021)