Promising Young Woman is Changing Thrillers for the Better

Written by Chantel Kienitz 

Graphics by Kara Sheridan

Emerald Fennell’s new thriller is making waves in the film industry, shattering the clichéd expectations within the genre. It’s a thriller filled with pastel colors and a female lead, attributes that don’t automatically check the boxes on a majority of the films within its surrounding titles, but that is what makes it so freshly palatable. Promising Young Woman takes the idea of a thriller and flips it on its head, using the dark realities of life to lead the audience to root for revenge, which is the achieved goal of the film.

While watching thrillers, the viewer often becomes comfortable with the dimly lit, dismal feel, adapting their eyesight to this new shade of the world for the next hour and a half.  So when Promising Young Woman presents its soft-hued color scheme after the dark toned intro it becomes almost as shocking as some of the plot twists. The delicate pops of pink and light blue are scattered throughout the movie with a lighthearted air to them. It makes the viewer feel as though they are comfortable in the light-colored daytime scenes, and in peril when the scene dials down in brightness. This contrasts the feelings of Cassie, the protagonist of the film, throughout her life. She feels in-control and ready to strike during her nightly routine of frightening men into abandoning their predispositions toward sexual assault but can feel cautious and wary within her own personal life when meeting new people, especially men, and branching out. The film uses color and lighting dynamics in a way that is unique within the low-toned, grungy feel of the thriller genre. Darkness and blue/grey-toned grading are conventionally associated with levels of fear or mystery, giving this film room to play with that expectation, leading to the bleakest moments taking place with cotton-candy pink backgrounds and dainty set dressing. 

What most people may expect from a thriller lies in the realm of an evil character committing wrongdoings and running from the past, or realizing they were their own worst enemy all along, but that is where this narrative differs. Cassie is presented at the beginning of the movie as an idiosyncratic version of a real-life superhero who finds predatory men and pushes them to realize that their actions are harmful and horrific, not to mention, against the law. She fits into her Batman-esque role, intimidating and powerful by night and a bored barista in floral fashions by day. Even if the outfit changes, though, her power extends throughout every part of her life. From her “spit-in-a-customer’s-coffee” type attitude at work, to her plans to avenge her friend’s sexual assault, she never leaves her role of justice behind. Within any other story, Cassie may have realized she should give up her past and move on, or maybe she would be made out to be some evil villain seeking an unhealthy level of revenge. Even though there are still select characters who attempt to dissuade Cassie from her plans, any Promising Young Woman viewer who understands the situation is in support of Cassie’s efforts. It’s true that Cassie is fixated on making assailants pay for their crimes, but her obsession is not the true antagonist of this movie as it may be throughout many thrillers. Even as her plot of vengeance leads Cassie into the final moment of conflict, it is not her downfall; the true villain, the aggressors, are finally brought to justice as a result of Cassie’s consuming determination.   

Stories of women within the film industry have been silenced for too long, and finally it is becoming more normalized that directing and writing credits are given to anyone other than males. It is far past the time to move on from the male-gaze era of cinema and start backing plots about women that are written by women, instead of presenting these formulaic narratives of strong female characters told from a removed perspective. Emerald Fennell allows the devastating nature of situations of sexual assault come through in her story, and although some viewers may be disappointed with those results, they cannot take away from the fact that it is based on reality. This element of heartbreaking accuracy is what boosts this script into one that truly connects with its audience and earned it several nominations and awards. The script alone has earned a Critic’s Choice Award for Best Screenplay, a Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay and nominations for both a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay. Feats like this are groundbreaking for any filmmaker, no matter the situation, but it is worth noting that women make up a small percentage of the creatives that receive these accolades. It is important to understand that this is not due to women making “less award-worthy” movies. It more so has to do with the fact that critics pay women no mind, or simply, they are not given the opportunity to even begin to create their movie in the first place. In this male-centered business, it is upsetting that the excitement behind a win like this is always paired with the sex of the woman who made it, while a male win is normalized. Nonetheless, itt is always inspiring for young girls to see their role models breaking the tradition of all-male award ceremonies by showing them that it is possible to succeed in Hollywood despite their femininity. This was an achievement furthered by the other awards and nominations that Promising Young Woman has been given. Especially when Emerald Fennell was nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes, making her one of only eight women in history to be nominated for this award, three of which were this year. 

This movie is an anomaly within its genre and in general, a full female centered and female-made movie, but even more than that it is a great film. It evokes all the right emotions, it leads the viewer into fits of suspense-induced stress, and it makes a clear statement. The acting performances by Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Laverne Cox and Chris Lowell, among others, are real and focused. This film is fun to watch even though it is ultimately chilling. It evolved itself into a new kind of thriller, a type that hopefully continues to prevail in the industry, along with the stories of all women, whether they be thrillers, dramas, comedies, or anything in between and beyond.