The End does not justify the means

in Promising Young Woman by Kathia Woods

The mistakes of one's youth don't always come back to haunt us except when the error is a crime. Enters, Cassie. The world sees her as loser once a promising medical student at the top of her class now, she works at a cafe by day and picks up men at night. These men think they're getting an easy conquest, but soon they are spun into a web of revenge. Cassie knows that some men are weak and don't understand boundaries. She's on a mission. She's out for justice. Promising Young Woman puts the woman in control. We are examining not only the perpetrators but also the enablers. These are the themes explored in this film. Cassie played outstandingly by Carrie Mulligan wasn't the victim, but she saw firsthand how the system favored those with power. She decided to even the odds. The downfall is that the event paralyzed her from living her life. We, the audience, can't decide if we should cheer for her or become horrified. Her revenge is carried out meticulously. She dresses provocatively and presents herself in a state of drunkenness. That's the bait. Men see this gorgeous blond that is drunk but not too drunk and willing to go home with them. In the opening act, she goes back with a charming businessman who thinks he's about to score. He slowly pulls down her panties, and that's when a sober Cassie confronts him. Fear rushes through his body. Is she going to kill him or worse is she going to accuse him of rape? She wants him to be terrified. Like all good conquerors, Cassie keeps a tally of her victims. Her rage is a controlled rage, which makes her even more frightening. Men that are used to having the power have now resorted to pleading like children. The thing that makes Promising Young Woman so delicious is that Cassie is always in control. Her victims can't gauge her rage. She's patient and meticulous about whom, and how she asserts her revenge, that's the hook. First time director Emerald Fennell directed this film as well as wrote this screenplay. She's responsible for the pacing, and it shouldn't come as a surprise seeing she's the show-runner for "Killing Eve" Season 2. She's very comfortable with terror. Cassie is a different type of Heroine. She uses her sex appeal to set the trap. Her body is her weapon, and she yields that blond hair like a knife. The downside is that this has consumed her life. She went from a bright medical student to a woman who's become a hermit seeking revenge. Her one friend is also her employer Gail (Laverne Cox). Her parents are at their ropes because their daughter is stuck. Halfway through the film, she attempts a relationship. Enter Ryan (Bo Burnham). He wondered what happened to his beautiful classmate. Our girl has a social life. Cassie is enjoying life; however, the past comes back to haunt that happiness. Our Heroine once again is plotting revenge by searching social media and looking at YouTube videos that teach her how to have blow job lips. This time her victims aren't strange men but her med school classmates that sent her down this road of darkness. Also, all her targets aren't men. This revenge is specific. Mulligan is most frightening when she's sitting across from her victims. Talking to them in a stern but precise way. She doesn't raise her voice but makes it clear she's in charge. An excellent example of this is when she confronts Dean Walker (Connie Britton). Promising Young Woman never paints her as right. The film shows you how a woman reacts to a world that protects people with money. You feel for Cassie, but ultimately one knows that it's not going to end well. This is the film's most significant win. It doesn't make her a hero because, in the end, she's also a victim. Promising Young Woman shows the society that we all play a part. We can choose to stand for victims or become part of the cover-up.

Diversity- This film receives an 8 for a woman director and woman anti-hero.