PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN Trailer

Carey Mulligan turns the tables in Promising Young Woman, the feature debut of writer/director Emerald Fennell.

Something happened in Cassandra’s (Mulligan) college years that derailed her. She was on track to become a doctor when a sexual assault claim, either by herself or someone close to her, was ignored. This shifted her priorities and years later she’s still motivated by the event, although not in a particularly healthy way. Now she goes out pretending to be drunk, attracting men ready to take advantage of the situation only to pull the rug out from under them. How far she takes things afterwards is unclear from this trailer, but the setup is a startling twist on the dangers we all know lurk in society.

It’s a bold first outing for Fennell, who will have to be careful balancing the thriller trappings with the story’s heady ideas. She at least has some experience walking this tightrope while writing, having penned several episodes of Killing Eve.

Boldness does bring attention, though, which undoubtedly is why Carey Mulligan signed on to star. This will let her show a whole new skill set, an exciting development for someone we’ve been watching for over a decade. Her co-stars are just as impressive, with Bo Burnham, Laverne Cox, and Molly Shannon all appearing along with a cavalcade of recognizable men lending their faces as everyday monsters.

This material promises to be quite incendiary. Let’s hope it starts some fires.

Promising Young Woman is directed by Emerald Fennell and stars Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, and Laverne Cox. It will be released in the US and the UK on April 17th, 2020. For international release dates, click here.

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