"I was affected too. It's every guy's worst nightmare getting accused like that."
"Can you guess what every woman's worst nightmare is?"
With only a week to go until the 2021 Oscars, the next of this year's contenders which I'll be reviewing and analysing is Emerald Fennell's Promising Young Woman. Tipped as an Awards contender since last Summer, this film has been the one which I have been most excited for, and wow does it live up to the hype. Haunted by a traumatic event from her college years, the film follows the wickedly smart and sociopathic Cassandra (Carey Mulligan) as she lures and threatens would be predators by pretending to be drunk in nightclubs. She feigns intoxication as they lead her out of the club and take her home, only revealing her sobriety when they are about to assault her. Determined to seek revenge for the incident which caused her to drop out of medical school, Cassandra makes a list of those who wronged her and seeks accountability for their actions. The film examines issues of casual sexism, victim blaming, and the lasting effects of sexual assault on survivors. It's title "Promising Young Woman" reflects society's concern about how a sexual assault accusation can derail the lives of promising and upstanding young men, whilst paying no heed to how these crimes affect the lives of the predominantly female victims.
The film is beautifully crafted and well-edited, and the bright visuals and naughties nostalgia combined with Fennell's stunning direction make for a very pleasant and visually appealing watch. Additionally, her script is my choice for this year's Best Original Screenplay Oscar, as she expertly navigates complex issues and dismantles societal views and attitudes towards sexual assault. The writing and logic of the film is so good that Cassandra rarely reverts to explicit violence to enact her revenge, instead using her words to dismantle the views and beliefs of her 'victims'.
There are a number of things about this film which I think are ingenious, but the most standout of these is Fennell's choice of men and actors for her would-be predators. The men who take the supposedly drunk Cassie home are not the vicious, menacing men you think of when you think of rapists, they're the 'nice guys', men who appear outwardly concerned and trusting. They don't lurk in the shadows or follow women down dark alleyways, they're the men you would stop and ask for directions, men who look well presented and respectable.
In their minds, because they don't fit society's idea of what a predator looks or acts like, they cannot be one or be seen as one. They believe that they are the good guys who are saving this drunk girl from those foreboding figures, blind to the fact that they themselves are the ones who should be feared. This point is emphasised by the casting of lovable and recognisable pop culture figures, like Adam Brody who audiences will recognise as Seth Cohen in The OC and Christopher Mintz-Plasse better recognised as "McLovin" from Superbad. As a result of the audience's pre-existing knowledge of these actors and their characters, they perceive that they wouldn't be the type of men to enact these crimes. The fact that you don't expect these men to be predators speaks to the commonality of sexual assault in society today, a fact which is highlighted by a recent statistic which found that 97% of UK women had experienced sexual assault or harassment.
The film is highly and rightly critical of the victim blaming which plagues victims of sexual assault, and addresses how the same factors which demonise the victim, excuse the actions of the perpetrators. When the victim is drunk, it is their fault for getting themselves into such a state, but when the perpetrator is drunk, they didn't know what they were doing or were not acting in their right minds. As well as targeting would be and known offenders, Cassie also turns her attention to those who enable and excuse their behaviour, like lawyers and college faculty. The scene in which Cassie visits Dean Walker (Connie Britton), where she speaks about how those who have been accused should be given the "benefit of the doubt" and should be seen as "innocent until proven guilty", is a stark reminder of the consideration not afforded victims.
The film is incredibly important, and if you were only to see one film this year it should be this one. At a time in which sexual assault survivors are being encouraged to come forward and share their stories with the support of the #MeToo movement, the film challenges you to be aware of how you perceive victims and perpetrators, and the little consideration which is given to the lasting affect of these crimes on victims. I think the dialogue which I have quoted at the start of this piece says it all, and we as a society must learn to be better accepting and supporting to those who experience these sadly all too common issues.
Promising Young Woman is available on Sky Cinema and Now TV now.
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