So this is what feminist rage looks like. (Unmarked Spoilers)
Cassandra “Cassie” Thomas (Carey Mulligan) is a coffee shop worker by day but a whole different person by night. She goes to a bar and acts super intoxicated until a “nice guy” who thinks that basic human decency entitles them to sex offers to help. Then she turns the tables on them by revealing she’s not drunk and scaring them into changing their ways—a surprisingly optimistic move for a movie vigilante, who would usually just kill them.
The movie also delves into Cassie’s personal life. Her budding romance with former classmate Ryan (Bo Burnham). How she’s living at home with her parents again following something happening at med school that made her drop out. Something that clearly ties into why she’s going out every night. The question then becomes if it was something that happened to her or someone close to her.
So, you know that “Poor Thing” song from Sweeney Todd? Well, essentially, that’s what happened to Cassie’s friend Nina. There was a party, where not only was Nina raped by classmate Al Monroe (Chris Lowell), but Al’s friends were there and found the whole thing amusing. After her rapist was able to skirt any charges, Nina dropped out of school and died. The word suicide is never used, but that’s clearly what happened.
At one point, Cassie meets up with Nina’s mom (Molly Shannon), who tells her that Cassie’s prolonged grieving isn’t good for anyone. That she should move on, as if it’s just that simple. However, Cassie does try to move on, leading to a happy times montage concerning her relationship with Ryan. It’s a cute part of the movie, but I found it impossible to relax while watching it. Given that it was way too early for the film to be over, I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. And drop it does.
Acquiring a video of Nina’s rape, it’s revealed that Ryan was of Al’s friends that were there that night. Ryan doesn’t even try to say “I’m sorry” upon being found out. Instead, he says, “I didn’t even do anything.” Of all the excuses that we hear in this movie, “we were kids,” “I’m a nice guy,” that’s the one that stood out to me. I didn’t even do anything. Yeah, man, that’s the problem in and of itself. Something wrong was happening, and you didn’t intervene.
While this movie doesn’t condone being a bystander, it also demonstrates that going to the opposite extreme isn’t right either. At the end of the film, Cassie goes to take her revenge on Al. He ends up overpowering her and eventually managing to kill her because vigilantism is a terrible idea—what a surprise.
That’s not me being sarcastic. That’s me being completely serious. In the real world, taking the law into your own hands is very ill-advised. You’re probably going to die young, like Cassie. There’s a higher chance of ending up as Kyle Rittenhouse than Batman. Most movies and tv shows, however, choose to go the more escapist route where you don’t have to worry about such things.
A great thing about this movie is that it demonstrates that men are not the enemy. The patriarchy is the enemy. Allow me to explain because I promise you that’s not as much as an oxymoron as it might initially appear. You see, the problem is the system in place that enables men to get away with committing rape. Using, among other things, internalized misogyny to make women buy into age-old excuses like “she was asking for it.” It’s telling that two of Cassie’s revenge targets are women. Both of whom didn’t treat Nina’s rape with the level of concern that they should have.
Another excellent thing about this movie is its casting choices. Mulligan does a superb job performing all the different sides of Cassie. Her revenge side, her sad side, and her more goofy side. Then there are all the “nice guys,” who are played by actors known for playing genuine nice guys. Whose natural charm is used to make it all the more jarring when it turns out they’re horrible sex monsters. It’s comparable to David Tennant being cast in Jessica Jones (he is so phenomenal in that).
Promising Young Woman is the perfect movie to watch in a group because it serves two purposes. The first is to provide entertainment by being a good movie. The second is as a conversation starter as the film deals with several issues worth discussing, especially with men. Just remember that to have a meaningful dialogue, you’re going to need to keep things even-tempered and non-accusatory.
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