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Carey Mulligan (Shame, Never Let Me Go) is equal parts sympathetic and terrifying in writer/director Emerald Fennell’s psychological thriller Promising Young Woman. Mulligan stars as Cassandra, a medical school dropout whose life was derailed after the sexual assault of her best friend, Nina. Now thirty and still living with her parents (Clancy Brown and Jennifer Coolidge), Cassandra spends her nights feigning drunkenness to entrap predatorial young men and teach them a lesson, all in an attempt to get some form of justice for Nina. Her hardened heart is softened — just the tiniest, skeptical bit — by a charming young pediatric surgeon named Ryan (Bo Burnham). As Ryan begins to pull her back to a ‘normal’ life, Cassandra learns an ugly secret that sets her back on the path to vengeance.
This is an auspicious feature directorial debut from Emerald Fennell (2023’s Saltburn, 2026’s Wuthering Heights), who weaves mystery, social commentary, genre stylings, and a compelling central character arc through Promising Young Woman. Carey Mulligan is outstanding in an Oscar-nominated performance that demonstrates how trauma and grief can stunt our growth and lead us to commit violence. She’s especially good in scenes where she confronts the medical school’s dean of students (Connie Britton) and the lawyer who successfully defended her friend’s rapist in court (an uncredited Alfred Molina) — both scenes that end remarkably different than one might expect. The ability to subvert our expectations proves to be one of Fennell’s greatest gifts, especially in a third act full of pleasant surprises. She also uses production design, photography, and music to striking effect — definitely an exciting new filmmaker to watch.
With Adam Brody, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Laverne Cox, Alison Brie, Christopher Lowell, and Molly Shannon.
Academy Award: Best Original Screenplay (Emerald Fennell)
Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Director, Leading Actress (Mulligan), Film Editing