Since its release last Christmas, Promising Young Woman has both divided and intrigued viewers. Earning five Academy Award nominations, the movie follows Cassandra (Carey Mulligan), a medical school dropout who avenges her best friend’s rape by tracking down men that take advantage of inebriated women. Written, produced, and directed by Emerald Fennell (who plays Camilla in The Crown) in her feature film debut, Promising Young Woman asks timely questions about sexual assault, consent, and revenge.
"I wanted to write a movie that reflected this thing that we all grew up with, which was that getting girls drunk in order to ‘seduce them’—seduce in inverted commas—was kind of normal. It was in every comedy and girls’ bodies were something to be won, almost by any means necessary,” Fennell told Vogue. “I’d been thinking about that for a while and then I thought about this scene of a girl drunk on a bed who was saying, ‘What are you doing’ to the person undressing her. Then, she sits up sober, and says, ‘What are you doing?’ At that moment, I knew what this was going to be.”
The film is nominated for five Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director (Fennell), Best Actress (Mulligan), Best Original Screenplay (Fennell), and Best Film Editing.
'Carey Mulligan and Bo Burnham in Promising Young Woman.'
What are critics saying?
The response to the film has been mixed. While critics praised the strength of Carey Mulligan’s performance, people found the revenge plot to be implausible and overwrought. The New York Times described the film as “a hard candy with a sour center” that “turns sociopathy into a style and trauma into a joke.” Other critics have found the film’s audacity charming. A Vox review thought the main character’s fixation on revenge was quite invigorating, writing: “Could we find pleasure in watching a vindictive woman force men to face the pain they’re capable of inflicting? The answer is a resounding yes.”
How can I watch Promising Young Woman?
Promising Young Woman is available on-demand and in theaters. You can catch the movie on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, and YouTube.
-
Suki Waterhouse Cements Her '70s Darling Status in the Yeti Coat TrendThe British pop-rock princess truly met her match in this shaggy vintage-inspired style.
-
These Royals Could Step Up to Help Prince William When He's King "If He Calls on Them"Three members of the Royal Family are likely to pitch in with duties down the line.
-
Why King Charles "Refuses" to Give Kate Middleton Advice About Becoming Queen"For much of the same reason, Camilla has not felt compelled to speak with Kate about what it's like to be queen."
-
The Scariest Paranormal Movies of All TimeBring on the jump scares.
-
Jessie Andrews Finds Her Power in Constantly Rebranding HerselfThe 'Love Bomb' star and fashion entrepreneur speaks to editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike for the 'Marie Claire' podcast "Nice Talk."
-
The Best Romance Movies You Need to See in 2025From a new 'Bridget Jones' film to several heartwarming queer rom-coms.
-
The 15 Most Anticipated Novels of 2025These are the new fiction books that should be on your TBR stack.
-
The Best Drama Movies to Look Forward to in 2025We're already marking our calendars for these highly-anticipated dramas coming soon.
-
Is 'The Brutalist' Streaming? Here's How to Watch the Award-Winning A24 FilmIf its Golden Globe wins are any indication, we'll be hearing more about the A24 drama throughout awards season.
-
Demi Moore Celebrates First-Ever Major Award Win at the 2025 Golden Globes as a "Marker of My Wholeness"After 45 years in the industry and a producer told her 30 years ago she was only "a popcorn actress," the star took home a trophy.
-
Who Is Grace Keeling, a.k.a GK Barry, from 'Missing You' on Netflix?The influencer, whose real name is Grace Keeling, makes her acting debut on the new Netflix thriller series.
