The bittersweet ending of 'Promising Young Woman' makes the movie

[NelsonG]

By the time Promising Young Woman reaches its climactic showdown, it's hard to imagine what a satisfying ending might even look like.

A triumphant ending would seem too easy, for a film that's otherwise been unafraid to explore messy and painful truths. A defeated one might seem too cruel, reinforcing the very disposability of female victims that the film has been railing against.

So writer-director Emerald Fennell threads the needle by doing both, or neither, depending on how you look at it. Cassie gets to have her say with Al (Chris Lowell), the man who raped her best friend Nina years ago, but is killed by him in the ensuing struggle. But then, it's revealed that Cassie had laid one final trap, ensuring evidence of Al's crimes would be sent to the authorities in the event of her disappearance. The film ends with Al being taken away in handcuffs at his own wedding. Read more...

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