If we imagine the events of this movie happening in real life, the only way they would rise to the level of a story that would, say, make the national news (or at least one of the more popular unusual news subreddits) would be if Cassie actually pulled off the films improbable denouement. Even if the hero dies, some justice will be done. Jonathan Majors Dropped by Manager Entertainment 360 Following Domestic Violence Charges, AI-Generated Fake Drake/Weeknd Collaboration, Heart on My Sleeve, Delights Fans and Sets Off Industry Alarm, Beef Star David Choe Appears to File Copyright Takedowns for 2014 Podcast Video of Him Joking Hes A Successful Rapist, Bruce Springsteen Contracts COVID and Misses His Archives Inaugural Awards Show, but Presents Via Video. And I think it was really important that this whole movie is taking those tropes of the revenge thriller and hopefully sort of undercutting them or subverting them all. They clearly gel well, but an awkward encounter outside Ryans apartment shows that Cassie isnt entirely ready for this relationship. She dies. In most stories with a happy ending this is where the protagonist uses their newly found thematic knowledge to destroy the element of antagonism. director breaks down that brutal twist ending. Carey Mulligan (front) stars as "Cassandra" and Bo Burnham (back) stars as "Ryan" in director Emerald Fennell's PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, a Focus Features release. Years earlier, her classmate, Al Monroe, raped her best friend, Nina Fisher, who attended the same school, which led to Nina's suicide. She begins a plan to exact revenge on Al and others who are suspected of being involved with the rape. And you see that quite a lot in this movie, so, it really could be anything.. I couldnt believe that she wouldnt have made a plan for if things went wrong.. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. It seemed completely impossible and it seemed like a lie, she added. After all, from Als point of view, he would be scared for his life. But she had already sent incriminating evidence to a lawyer, and so Al is arrested during his wedding reception as Cassies former boyfriend Ryan (Burnham) receives one last timed text message from Cassie. Those developments are a lot to cram into the last 15 minutes of a movie, even when you accept that Promising Young Woman has already crammed a lot of other incidents into its story before that. Instead, through a partnership between sister companies Focus Features, Universal Pictures and, List of accolades received by Promising Young Woman, "Indie filmmakers see profit in straight-to-streaming releases", "Carey Mulligan To Star In FilmNation, LuckyChap Thriller 'Promising Young Woman' EFM", "Bo Burnham to Star Opposite Carey Mulligan in 'Promising Young Woman'; Alison Brie, Connie Britton, Adam Brody & More Round Cast", "Clancy Brown Boards 'Promising Young Woman' at Focus Features", "Carey Mulligan on Taking on Toxic Men and Performing Paris Hilton's Song in 'Promising Young Woman', "Carey Mulligan Exacts Sweet Revenge Across Los Angeles in 'Promising Young Woman', "How 'Promising Young Woman' Weaponizes Hollywood's Nice Guys", "Let's Talk About the Knockout Ending of 'Promising Young Woman', "Focus Boards Carey Mulligan Thriller 'Promising Young Woman', "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama", "Focus Features to Release PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN on April 17", "Promising Young Woman will be available to rent starting next week", "How To Watch Promising Young Woman Streaming", "A deep dive into Promising Young Woman's creative prowess", "Review: Carey Mulligan holds the wild revenge-thriller provocations of 'Promising Young Woman' together", "The Agony And Subversion Of The 'Promising Young Woman' Ending", "Promising Young Woman makes smart, devious use of Bo Burnham", "Oscars Nominations: 'Mank' Leads with 10 Noms, Plus 'Nomadland,' 'Judas,' 'Minari,' 'Sound of Metal,' and More", "Longlists, 2021 EE British Academy Film Awards", "2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Nominations", "Nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards (2021) Announced", "Critics Choice Awards: 'Mank' Leads With 12 Nominations, Netflix Makes History With Four Best Picture Nominees", "The 2020 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award Nominations", "Read the 'Promising Young Woman' Script by Emerald Fennell (EXCLUSIVE)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Promising_Young_Woman&oldid=1149956770, This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 13:46. 2, 3 Screenwriting Productivity Hacks to Finish Your Script, The fastest way to get your first script written. Will you become one of them? You might hate it. And then it also requires seeing who Cassie is within the context of her relationship with Ryan (its rom-com side). I was on the edge of my seat for this, and . We can infer that Cassie has a generally antagonistic attitude towards men she doesnt know, so we expect this incident to go similarly, but Ryan appears to be a charmer. "Promising Young Woman" is a mixture of genres thrillers, revenge movies and comedies like "16 Candles" and "Animal House" when male characters openly contemplate having sex with . Death in Paradise star teases Beyond Paradise role. Because thats the thing, I dont even think she even knows what shes capable of most of the time. Its difficult to talk about. Promising Young Woman is a 2020 thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Emerald Fennell in her feature directorial debut. Theres a reason women dont do what we see in movies like this, which is put on a dress and get out an AK-47. And I think that Al Monroe is the end of the road for her either way. It also has . Cassie is explicitly told by Ninas mom to move on, but its hard to know whether thats even possible. "[40] Dowd added that the casting of Burnham, who "comes across as nonthreatening" and has "a boyish quality," assisted the use of the character. Could Ryan be the one? There's a hoary old cliche about revenge that says "those who seek revenge should dig two graves (one for their enemy and one for themselves)". Theres a strong chance that things go wrong, but shes not blinded with rage and suicidal. This awards season, the film "Promising Young Woman" was released. Featuring 1080p resolution, the Universal Blu-ray release is presented in the widescreen aspect ratio of 2.39:1. And in terms of the double ending it felt too cruel to leave it with [burning the body], which was something that probably had I been left to my own devices I might have done. Elon Musks plan for a mysterious X app is coming into focus, Lab-grown blood could (one day, maybe) save your life. Cant imagine ever going back. And one is hard and lonely and bleak. The police begin to investigate her disappearance, and it seems that because of Cassies rage-filled hobby, that Al will get away with it. Even still, the conclusion leaves some unanswered questions. Something went wrong while submitting the form. The stakes rise as a new goal comes into sight that sends our protagonist into a tail-spin that threatens to destroy them. Additionally, Fennell stated that having Al apprehended at his wedding would reflect Cassie's sense of humor. In the space between Act 1 and Act 2B, our protagonist wants to restore the order they had at the beginning of the story. The film won Best Original Screenplay at the 93rd Academy Awards, with additional nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Mulligan), and Best Film Editing. Therefore, Promising Young Woman wouldnt be a movie without its final moments. [27][28] The film continued to hold well in the subsequent weekends, including seeing a 16% bump following its four Golden Globe nominations, with a running total of $5.1 million by February 21. Nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be -- she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night. Read critic reviews . Madison gives her an old phone containing a video of Nina's rape before warning her never to contact her again. We shouldnt have to live like this. We also know that Nina is dead. Overall, the highly-anticipated 2020 film has mostly received positive reviews. 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Together, they burn her body. In the films final scene, as police raid the wedding party to arrest Al, and his best friend and accomplice Joe (Max Greenfield) runs off into the woods, Ryan receives a pre-timed text message from Cassie. Never. Oops. To give you an idea of what outlining in Arc Studio looks like, we created a plot board for Promising Young Woman, which you can play around with here. April 24, 2021. In the context of an exploitation thriller, all of this is totally reasonable. Fennell contorts several events in her movie to arrive at its final scene, an approach that feels like a cheat in a character study but plays as triumphant in an exploitation thriller. I, like every person in the audience, wanted it to end with her walking away with a burning cabin behind her and sirens in the distance. But one thing seems almost certain: You will have strong feelings about its ending. 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