Promising Young Woman (2020)

  

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Movie Name/Year: Promising Young Woman (2020)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller 
Length: 113 minutes
Rating: R
Production/Distribution: FilmNation Entertainment, Focus Features, LuckyChap Entertainment, Film & TV House, GEM Entertainment, United International Pictures, Universal Pictures International, Universal Pictures, The Searchers
Director: Emerald Fennell
Writer: Emerald Fennell
Actors: Adam Brody, Carey Mulligan, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Alli Hart, Loren Paul, Bo Burnham, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Alison Brie, Gabriel Oliva, Bryan Lillis, Francisca Estevez, Lorna Scott, Connie Britton, Casey Adams, Vince Lozano, Molly Shannon, Max Greenfield, Chris Lowell
 
Blurb from IMDb: A young woman, traumatized by a tragic event in her past, seeks out vengeance against those who crossed her path.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
When I first saw the trailer for Promising Young Woman, I expected it to be more like what Hunted wound up being. In fact, some parts made me think it might even go even further, into torture porn areas.
 
That is not what it was.
 
It definitely dipped into that ‘revenge’ kind of plot, but it goes a different – more realistic – route. If anything, I’d call it psychological.
 
Normally, that kind of misrepresentation in a trailer would annoy me. This time it doesn’t. I don’t think there was any other way to serve up a summary of the film without spoilers. And, if there’s one thing I hate more than misrepresentation in a trailer, it’s ruining the entire movie.
 
So, in this case, I find it acceptable.
 

Everything about this film was on point. The acting was amazing, and the characters felt real.
 
The plot was not nearly as one dimensional as I expected. There was so much more to it. After I watched, I had to sit quietly for about an hour just to digest it. There was one twist I saw coming from a mile away, but the ending practically redefined risky.
 
I was shocked to learn that this was Emerald Fennell’s (The Danish Girl, Chickens, Vita & Virginia) first time writing, or directing, a full-length feature film. I saw a lot of inspiration taken from Stanley Kubrick (A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket) in the settings/shots – a reliance on symmetry.
 
The script also felt more experienced than it apparently was. I need to see more from her.
 
Promising Young Woman was a great movie, but it will make you think. It’s not the type of thing to put on after a long day of work to just turn your brain off to. This is an unforgettable piece of cinema.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 92%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 89%
Metascore – 71/100
Metacritic User Score – 7.4/10
IMDB Score – 7.4/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 4/5
 
Movie Trailer: