“Promising Young Woman” hit me like a lightning bolt when I saw it for the first time upon its initial release in 2020.
Yes, the twisted narrative gripped me and offered plenty of entertainment, but the female rage themes felt vital and still do to this day. It’s a revenge thriller I haven't stopped thinking about ever since and I've rewatched it multiple times.
I’ve been recommending this Oscar winner since I watched it for the first time, and I was delighted to discover this week that it’s currently available to stream on Prime Video.
Even better, you don’t need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch as it’s streaming for free. The only price to pay is tolerating some ads.
So, if you’re looking for an engaging movie but one with something important to say, then look no further than “Promising Young Woman.” Here’s everything you need to know about this revenge thriller with real bite.
What is ‘Promising Young Woman’ about?
Cassie (Carey Mulligan) is a former medical student and now a college dropout working in a coffee shop. Unable to heal the deep wound left by a traumatic event in her past. Cassie’s once bright future has wilted away, and she finds herself unable to move forward after a close friend was the victim of sexual assault and subsequently committed suicide.
To cope with her grief and anger, Cassie has adopted a very unusual, and potentially dangerous coping mechanism. She visits local bars, pretends to be intoxicated, and then aggressively confronts the unscrupulous men who attempt to take advantage of her.
However, when an old classmate Ryan (Bo Burham) enters her life, she might finally have a reason to move forward. But past demons prove hard to shake and soon enough Cassie is again reminded that even those who claim to be “a nice guy” can be anything but nice.
Stream ‘Promising Young Woman’ for free on Prime Video
“Promising Young Woman” is a remarkable showcase of Mulligan’s talents. The actress is ferocious in the leading role.
Cassie is a tragic figure throughout, understandably unable to accept what happened to her friend, but also self-destructive. Her plight is easy to sympathize with, and Mulligan makes her one of the most memorable central figures in any revenge thriller I’ve watched. Plus, she rocks a multi-colored wig!
The movie itself manages to jump between being a seriously engaging thriller — packing all the expected twists and moments of extreme tension — and also smartly conveying its crucial message.
This helps to make “Promising Young Woman” so much more than merely entertaining. It makes the movie powerful on a whole new level. And this extends through to the bittersweet ending.
Writer/director Emerald Fennell, who made her feature debut with this flick, also deserves huge credit. Fennell’s screenplay is wonderful, laced with real venom that conveys its purpose expertly.
The movie is also well-paced, packing several gut punches throughout. Fennell’s choice to make much of the movie look almost candy-cane colorful is genius. It’s a sickly veneer, hiding the dark subject matter underneath. It’s excellent filmmaking.
I’m not the only one impressed with this revenge thriller either. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, “Promising Young Woman” scores an impressive 90% after almost 430 reviews. That’s enough for a ‘Certified Fresh’ seal of approval. Its viewer's score is similarly high at 87%.
“A boldly provocative, timely thriller, Promising Young Woman is an auspicious feature debut for writer-director Emerald Fennell — and a career highlight for Carey Mulligan,” reads Rotten Tomatoes’ ‘Critics Consensus,’ and that’s a write-up I mostly certainly agree with.
Now is the time to watch "Promising Young Woman" if you missed it in theaters. The movie is unmissable, especially now that it's streaming for free on Prime Video. Over the past five years, it’s lost none of its relevance.
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