Listen. I was going to give you a Friday Favorites list, I really was. I kept trying to figure out how to make a list surrounding the movie Promising Young Woman. Maybe I’ll talk about the best films of 2020. Or perhaps I’ll tell you my top 5 movies from the past 5 years. Or maybe I’ll tell you my top badass women movies. I even toyed with giving you my favorite soundtracks (don’t worry, that’s coming. I’m very passionate about movie soundtracks and this is in my top 10).
I kept trying to just fit my Friday Favorites around this movie. And then I realized that it’s my NEW FAVORITE MOVIE which really means it CAN be an entire Friday Favorite on its own because who says I have to have a list on Fridays? NO ONE CAUSE I AM THE QUEEN OF THIS BLOG OKAY? Queen Kaleo. Wonderful. I love this. Let’s continue calling me that.
Anyway. I love Promising Young Woman so much and I’m about to tell you why.
I mean, look at this poster. You have the pink lipstick (which looks like writing on a mirror) and the tagline is “Revenge never looked so promising”. I’m already sold. But let’s take a look at the trailer.
The trailer (and the movie) starts off showing Cassie completely wasted at a bar. She is blackout drunk. Thank GOD there is a nice guy there to help her out and take her home. What would this world be without those nice guys? (lol, don’t worry, that’s a different post). Then we see that Cassie is not blackout drunk. Or drunk. Or even tipsy. She is stone cold sober. While we’re treated to a beautiful rendition of Toxic (by the one and only Ms. Britney Spears), Cassie explains what she does. Every week, she goes to a bar or a club and pretends to be trashed. And every week, a nice guy comes over to see if she’s okay. Then you see what this movie is really about.
The “accusation”. We’ve all heard this before, at least in America. The story of the girl who got black out drunk at a party and “had sex” with someone while she was so shit faced she couldn’t even tie together enough words to create a full sentence. Do you see something wrong with that sentence? Because I sure do. Because that, ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary folks, is rape. After the rape, if she reports it, she is shunned. By everyone. “Why did you allow yourself to get that drunk?” “You probably just regret it now that everyone knows about how slutty you are.” “Honestly, you should have known what you were getting into going to that party.” “I’ve never been so drunk that I had sex with someone I didn’t want to” (the old “It hasn’t happened to me so it can’t happen to anyone” thought process). There’s a few lines in the trailer that REALLY sticks out: “I have to give him the benefit of the doubt” (um why) and “It’s every guys’ worst nightmare to be accused like that” (please shut up). It really shows our countries standards for rape.
I love the visuals and the music for this movie. It’s so bubble gum girly girl and it’s something I’ve tried to fight for most of my life. Growing up, you’re a tom boy or a girl girl. There was no in between. But I wanted to wear dresses and still kick ass. This movie really shows that we’re going in the direction of being able to be a cute, adorable, girly girl while also being able to take care of yourself and kick some ass. I am here for it.
The movie is the perfect length. I wouldn’t cut anything out and there’s not a single scene that is “filler”. Carey Mulligan is phenomenal and the rest of the cast is as well. It was a perfectly cast movie. All the guys are the Hollywood Nice Guys. They always play the good guys (looking at you Piz and Leo), which makes you feel comfortable with them… But the creeps aren’t always that obvious, are they?
Seriously, everything about this movie is perfect. It’s $20 to rent on Amazon and please trust me that you’ll love this. I know a lot of drive in theaters are showing it too, if that’s more up your alley. But you need to see this movie. It’s important. It starts a very serious conversation about consent and that you should get it before getting sexual with anyone.
Fun fact, the title is a play on what Brock Turner was called… He was called “a promising young man”, which is why having someone accuse him of rape was just so horrible… For him… Because he had such a future ahead of him… Because he was going to be such an important MAN. Sometimes I really dislike our world.
Have you already seen this movie? Let me know in the comments below!
Writes with Wolves 