Release date: Christmas Day (Theatrical), Jan. 15 (Digital)
Director: Emerald Fennell
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie
Run-time: 1 hr 53 min
Age rating: R
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Finally, one of the most promising films of the year is here: we can watch Promising Young Woman online this weekend! Delayed and delayed, this revenge-driven movie finally arrived in theaters on Christmas, but is finally hitting streaming services (slightly earlier than anticipated).
Promising Young Woman stars Carey Mulligan as Cassandra Thomas, a woman who's got one hell of a habit: seeking revenge on men who have been sexual predators, by tricking them into thinking she's the prey of the evening.
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That's all we're going to say about the plot, as we at Tom's Guide have been patiently waiting to watch Promising Young Woman and have done our best to stay spoiler-free. What we can tell you is that Mulligan is joined by an all-star supporting cast, including Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox and Connie Britton.
Debuting at Sundance this past January, Promising Young Woman drew positive reviews from critics, and has collected nominations and awards since.
Promising Young Woman is the feature directorial debut of Emerald Fennell, and is co-produced by Margo Robbie (audiences who saw Robie in Birds of Prey in theaters may remember Promising Young Woman's electric trailer).
Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Promising Young Woman online right now. Plus, check out the trailer below:
How to watch Promising Young Woman with a VPN
If you're stuck abroad — away from countries where Promising Young Woman is streaming — you will likely run into geo-fenced restrictions on the platforms and services you can use. But with the help of a virtual private network (VPN), you can watch Promising Young Woman and all the other services you already pay for no matter where you are.
Based on our testing, the best VPN is ExpressVPN, which is easy to use and delivers fast internet speeds, making it simple to set up for streaming in no time at all. It also works on practically any device, starting with iOS and Android and including streaming devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV. Plus, game consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
How to watch Promising Young Woman on streaming
Promising Young Woman is scheduled to land on VOD services as a rental on Friday, Jan. 15, but we just noticed you can watch it on Amazon and Apple now. It's been in theaters since Christmas Day, but most of us don't live near theaters that aren't still closed because of the pandemic.
If you want to watch the movie on VOD, you will have a number of options among the major digital content marketplaces.
Other streaming sites:
Promising Young Woman reviews
Here's a roundup of Promising Young Woman reviews.
USA Today: "Even when you think “Promising Young Woman” is over, Fennell isn’t done putting its characters – or her audience – through their paces. With Mulligan in tow, she emerges as a stunning new filmmaking voice with a cunning heroine who's impossible not to adore. And, for some, fear."
Boston Globe: "Promising Young Woman is a button-pusher, then, an extremely dark comedy that aims to provoke more than convince. It’s a heart-sore female vigilante movie for the #MeToo era, and it wants to start arguments, offend dude-bros everywhere, and get their women friends to have each other’s back. Does it work? Until the movie hits a dead end in the final act, uneasily well — and then more from Mulligan’s wrenching performance than from Fennell’s glibly cynical script."
Associated Press: "a film as bracingly original as Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman” defies labels. Here’s a couple good adjectives, though: Startling — the only way to describe Fennell’s vision and execution in this, her directorial debut. And, sensational — a word that only begins to capture Carey Mulligan’s lead performance."
Salon: "Promising Young Woman is full of surprises, and that is what makes this kicky film so delicious."
Promising Young Woman cast
The Promising Young Woman cast is led by Carey Mulligan as Cassandra, and the film supplies her with an ample cast:
- Bo Burnham as Dr. Ryan Cooper
- Alison Brie as Madison McPhee
- Clancy Brown as Stanley Thomas
- Jennifer Coolidge as Susan Thomas
- Laverne Cox as Gail
- Chris Lowell as Al Monroe
- Connie Britton as Dean Elizabeth Walker
