Promising Young Woman

Director: Emerald Fennell
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, Chris Lowell, Connie Britton, Adam Brody, Max Greenfield, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Sam Richardson, Alfred Molina, Molly Shannon
Running Time: 113 min.
Rating: R 

★★★★ (out of ★★★★) 

To say that Emerald Fennell's revenge thriller Promising Young Woman is about someone who does bad things for the right reasons would feel like engaging in the same double talk excuse-making that plagues the "nice guy" would-be rapists its title character terrorizes. A more accurate assessment of one the year's absolute best and most thought-provoking films would describe it as being about accountability. It scares us to death into being better, holding its mirror up to a society assuming they've done enough and can't be bothered by the fact that they really haven't done anything at all. 

Squashing any preconceived notions about an issue we thought we've examined every facet of over the past two years, it throws those prejudices back in our faces with nihilistic, venomous glee. A surface-level reading the film's antagonistic protagonist would have some mistaking her for kind of a female Dexter, replacing retribution for serial killers with rapists. And yet this tramples over that buzzy oversimplification to deliver a story that cuts much deeper, complete with a pitch black satirical slant. 

While damaged, this isn't a character who murders or maims, with all questions concerning her potentially fragile mental state circling back to a single trauma from the past that feeds an obsessive motivation. Despite a plot built around such an explosive character, the film's greatest trick is that this isn't necessarily a study in her behavior, but rather those she targets. It's all about them, and ultimately us. Or really anyone who, if maybe not directly the perpetrator, could have found themselves in a situation where laughing things off or ignoring them altogether proved to be an escape hatch from its actual ramifications. 

If complicity comes in many different forms, the scariest realization is that we may never truly know anyone. That's not news, but how writer, actress and first-time feature director Fennell's script meticulously builds her case twist-by-twist before knocking the wind out of you in its closing minutes is. Like the mesmerizing lead performance carrying it, the film's fearless in refusing to pull any punches before arriving at a complex destination that's far from inevitable considering what came before. Stylish and beautifully constructed, it doesn't only give you something to think about following the credits, but provokes genuine discomfort and even outrage at having such thoughts. Whatever they may be.

Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas (Carey Mulligan) is 30-year-old woman living with her parents (Clancy Brown and Jennifer Coolidge) in Ohio after having dropped out of medical school years earlier due to an incident involving her best friend Nina. Now working at a coffee shop, she spends her nights at clubs pretending to be drunk to bait guys into taking her home, where they inevitably try to take advantage of the situation before she reveals her sobriety. 

As the reasoning behind Cassie's dangerous game starts to come into focus, her insulated world is temporarily turned upside down after a chance encounter with former classmate and pediatric surgeon Ryan Cooper (Bo Burnham), whom she eventually starts dating. Cassie's emerging feelings for him seem to conflict with news that a hated ex-classmate, Alexander "Al" Monroe (Chris Lowell) is recently engaged to be married. 

The mere mention of Al's name is an immediate trigger for Cassie, prompting her to embark on an intricate revenge plan involving multiple people entwined in a morally corrupt, misogynistic system that failed Nina and sent both fleeing from med school. As Cassie exacts revenge on those who wronged them, the idea of having actually met a good guy in Ryan could present the possibility of a future she gave up on having years ago. To embrace that, she'll need to let go of these revenge fantasies and an anger that's consumed her since the incident. But given the full nature of what happened and its lingering long-term impact, that could prove impossible. 

The film announces what it is right away, as a seemingly drunk Cassie lures her first victim in, if only he were actually a "victim" or even "lured." The young, outwardly affable businessman (played by Adam Brody) could be better categorized as the victimizer, or worse. He's just one of the unsuspecting marks Fennell brilliantly manipulates us into hanging our hats on by reconceptualizing the "nice guy" facade they've adopted to define themselves. Lulling us into considering they wouldn't dare take advantage of a barely conscious young woman without a ride home, how surprised or disappointed viewers are with the results goes a long way in confirming a certain level of pre-existing cynicism and awareness. Already an old pro at this, Cassie's ten steps ahead, complete with a personal scorecard that consistently yields a similar, if not identical, outcome each time. 

Never doubting that these guys have any other intention but to rape her, she's often alarmingly right, with one creep (played by Superbad's Christopher Mintz Plasse) going so far as to premptively victim-shame her before he can even get started. What they all have in common is the terrified looks on their faces when she reveals the con and exposes them for who they really are. Once confronted with her sobriety, they back off immediately, cowering in fear, suggesting she's really in this for that moment, knowing her actions could have just prevented it from happening again. Some want to run, others throw out excuses, but the upper hand is now hers in a power dynamic that's jarringly shifted.  

The script doesn't glide over Cassie's obvious issues, but the deeper understanding we get of the event that drove her here makes it easier for us to wrap our heads around the behavior. But it's still wrecklessly dangerous as she continuously places herself in harm's way to avenge a crime that can never be adjudicated or erased, having already caused irrecovable trauma. The arrival of Ryan into her orbit is when the material effortlessly alternates between some darker elements and a courtship that's enormously entertaining enough to stand on its own as a romantic comedy.

Fennell is so good at handling everything involving this relationship, as Cassie's walls gradually and believably start to crumble to the point that we think she may finally be able to turn the page on the grief that's emotionally paralyzed her. And we're rooting hard for it, while nervously dreading that a few potentially devastating scenarios could play out to derail it. Among them is the possibility Ryan ucovers her nightime hobby, isn't the true "nice guy" he seems or she's secretly targeting him next, playing some kind of long con in the hopes of exposing something.

While all of this adds an undercurrent of tension to every interaction, the chemistry between Mulligan and Burnham is such that we actually don't want any of these unsettling scenarios to come to fruition. The latter, better known as a comedian and director of 2018's critically acclaimed Eighth Grade, is especially good, conveying a geeky, self-depricating sense of humor that chips away at Cassie's defenses.

The idea that those who harm in the past rarely go away and are frequently incapable of significant change makes Cassie's work easier than it should be. Al's the ultimate end game in terms of her vengeance, but as she moves down the list, the enablers come off just as badly. Alison Brie as a stuck-up former classmate and Connie Britton as the University Dean are such realistically written and performed characters in terms of their normalized obliviousness. Exhibiting familar, if hypocritical behavior, they haven't a care in the world unless they're pushed, and something's on the line. For them, of course. 

Cassie exposes all their malfeasances and self-deception in a manner mirroring what she does with the aspiring rapists, refusing to draw the line between the actual act and those who stand by facilitating it. Given the stakes, even those wrestling with the morality of her methods would likely agree it's a message that badly needed to be delivered. Her encounter with a damaged lawyer (played by Alfred Molina) plays far differently, Cassie's reaction suggest she's playing with a fuller deck than initially suspected and there are certain lines that won't be be crosssed.

Despite the silly controversy that's arisen involving Carey Mulligan's looks as it relates to her qualifications for the role, the fact she's playing so agressively against her perceived screen persona only works to the material's favor. Usually more associated with period dramas, she enters the story as underestimated as her wild character, frequently framed in and surrounded by bright rainbow colors by cinematographer Benjamin Kračun as to contrast sharply with the story's inherent darkness. There are a lot of creative landmines for Mulligan to navigate to in terms of tone and intent, but she responds with her strongest ever work, reflecting in Cassie someone that's borne from tragedy, but cemented in a sadness and anger overlooked by those to whom she's closest, which are few. Alternating between observant girl-next-door and extroverted vixen, she carries the character's messy history on her shoulders, and as a result, the entire film.

When it's time to enter the lion's den and come face-to-face with the toxic jock bro she's been waiting years to destroy, Cassie comes prepared. Everything that happens in this movie's polarizing last act is shocking, but with an accompanying method to its madness. While the numbers game puts her in as serious danger, it's gone too far for her to turn back now, not that she'd even consider that. What actually goes down at the cabin bachelor party is jaw-dropping, but it's the fallout that gives Fennell's film its poisonous aftertaste, connecting all its dots in the most sensational of ways. All of it culminates in a revelatory closing sequence where you can almost literally hear the sound of a book closing or the last knot being tightly tied as the camera pans out.

All the praise heaped upon these final few minutes should extend past the editing and performances to also include the soundtrack. Often, the mark of truly great uses of popular songs in movies can be defined by a feeling that you've just heard it for the first time regardless of how frequently it's previously been played elsewhere. We get such a needle drop here, with a throwback tune that perfectly and ironically caps the moment, further enhancing the action it's juxtaposed against. It's such an ideal fit you'd figure it was written exactly for this scene, and unlikely to be heard the same way again. There's another more recent mainstream pop selection that makes a memorable karaoke cameo earlier on, but the closer is in a class by itself, marking one of many elements Fennell seamlessly harnesses to establish this nasty, confrontational experience as so much more than the mere sum of its parts.   

This would make for a great double feature with 2020's other provocative #MeToo drama, The Assistant, which could have easily been mistaken for a documentary given how raw and emotionlessly it depicted a similarly abusive environment. Tone-wise, they definitely don't match, but categorizing both under the same hashtag might be selling each short, reducing them to a very specific movement. It's never explicitly stated when the events here take place, and while the technology heavily implies present day, there's a timelessness to the proceedings and surroundings that force you to do a double take, speculating how a similar concept could have played out in the 80's or 90's. Or more pertinently, what the reaction would have been. Too full of jagged edges and black humor to be preaching anything, Promising Young Woman lets its scenario, and all the despicably flawed figures involved, speak for itself. And in doing that it becomes an outlier amongst socially concious thrillers by transcending the era for which it's made to become a stinging indictment on humanity as a whole.     

Veronica Mars (2014)

Director: Rob Thomas
Starring: Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, Krysten Ritter, Ryan Hansen, Francis Capra, Percy Daggs III,
Chris Lowell, Tina Majorino, Enrico Colantoni, Gaby Hoffman, Jerry O' Connell, Martin Starr, Ken Marino, Max Greenfield, Amanda Noret, James Franco
Running Time: 107 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★)
  
Following the announcement that beloved cult series Veronica Mars would be kickstarted into a feature film to simultaneously be released on VOD and into theaters, I was surprised just how much more interested I was in the controversial crowdfunding issue than actually seeing it return in any form. But after considering it, that indifference makes perfect sense. The first season of Rob Thomas' Veronica Mars is unquestionably flawless, deserving of its standing amongst the most creatively realized single season television dramas of the past decade. It took the unremarkable premise of a high school private eye and turned it into something that transcended the genre with its writing, tone and execution. Arriving at a time when serialized, self-contained storytelling wasn't popular and shows didn't revolve around strong female protagonists, telling one story throughout a season or even an entire series was unheard of. After turning loyal watchers into "fans" and forcing casual viewers to catch up later through word-of-mouth or social media, a cult was born.

In 2004 delivering one season of TV at such high quality was an anomaly. Not anymore. In fact, many showrunners have now done it multiple times, slightly diminishing Thomas' accomplishment, even if he got there first. A second solid season aired followed by a third that deserves to be forgotten and mostly is. But that first season is still magnificent and represents the best kind of episodic storytelling the medium has to offer. That's why it's so disappointing that network brass and even many fans insisted on turning the show into something it wasn't, failing to realize the gift they were given. They wanted it to be The Gilmore Girls or 90210 and the CW network responded by attempting it, causing the show to limp to the finish line in a far lesser state than it started. For further proof look no further than the fact that re-runs started regularly airing on SoapNet of all places.

With its legacy somewhat tarnished and that magical first season in the rearview mirror, trepidation toward this project is understandable. Worse yet, it exists to provide "fan service," which is partially responsible for unraveling the show to begin with.  Freed from the constraints of network television, this is a big test for Thomas, as we finally find it whether he was a single season wonder or it was outside factors that caused the series' eventual downfall. So with that in mind, how did he do?

Picking up nine years after the events of the third season, Veronica (Kristen Bell) has left her hometown of Neptune, California, graduated law school and moved to New York City, where she's in a relationship with college boyfriend "Piz" (Chris Lowell). While awaiting an offer from prestigious law firm Truman-Mann, she's contacted by her ex Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring), who's been serving in the Navy and is under investigation for the murder of his girlfriend Carrie Bishop, a former Neptune High classmate who went on to find fame as troubled pop star "Bonnie DeVille." Veronica agrees to fly back to Neptune under the condition of helping him and his still obnoxiously hilarious best friend Dick Casablancas (Ryan Hansen) find an attorney to build a believable defense.

With her ten-year class reunion approaching and the case becoming more complicated, Veronica's soon drawn back in to the chaotic life she thought she left behind, much to the chagrin of her former sheriff father Keith (Enrico Colantoni). He's running Mars Investigations while sickened by the corruption overrunning Neptune under sleazy Sheriff Dan Lamb (Jerry O'Connell). With the help of old friends Wallace (Percy Daggs III) and "Mac" (Tina Majorino), Veronica has to find Carrie's murderer and exonerate Logan, all while coming to terms with the past and figuring out what it means for her future. 

The movie answers one of its biggest questions right away in how much background Thomas intends to give the uninitiated, with a brief, narrated prologue that's quick and painless, yet doesn't waste the time of diehards who know every detail of the mythology. Archival footage marks the extent of Amanda Seyfried's role, as we find out how Thomas handles the absence of the series biggest star. Since her character's long dead, the passing acknowledgment of Lilly Kane seems to be a pretty easy solution. With a nine-year gap to be accounted for, it was the right move to keep the Veronica voice-over (which the series eventually fazed it out) since it's as good a device as any to catch viewers up to speed provided it isn't abused. Thankfully, it isn't.

Clever choices are also made with the opening titles and theme song, which I won't spoil. But what's surreal is just seeing the characters ten years later, but in the context of a feature film. It took some adjusting to since it does look and feel different with the sheen of a higher end production, yet still strangely the same. Visually speaking, it's the best VM has ever looked on a technical level with Thomas and director of photography Ben Kutchins capturing the color palette of the series' early days, as well as Neptune's noirish atmosphere.

The tease that age has mellowed Veronica and she's left her rebellious streak behind to settle down with Piz and start a legal career is short-lived. It isn't long before she's back home making quips and trading one-liners with her dad, the writing still as quick and snappy as before, and Bell's delivery of it just as perfect. She slides back into this character like riding a bike with the actress clearly relishing the rare chance to step back into the role she was born to play. In that respect, it's almost as if no time passed at all. What's interesting about the murder set-up is how it transforms Veronica back into the outsider she once was when the show began, bringing everything full circle. All fans can at least agree that the father-daughter relationship between Keith and Veronica is the most missed aspect of the show and Thomas definitely doesn't disappoint in following through with the full implications of that reunion.

Veronica's reconnection with Logan is admirably treated with a restraint I wasn't expecting considering my biggest concern was that relationship taking over the picture, much like it eventually did the series. If one thing can be pointed at as creatively torpedoing the show, it's that. Unsurprisingly, there's one scene involving this I could have done without, but at least it's built up to well and handled painlessly. Until Veronica joins a monastery, I'll just have to accept to the fact that the depiction of their relationship is a necessary evil, but one hardly as integral to the show's initial success as many believe. Dohring actually gives a really interesting performance here, doing away with some of the more milquetoast elements of Logan that emerged pre-cancellation while reintroducing the darker, angrier aspects of the character. We know he probably didn't commit the crime, but Dohring thankfully doesn't play it like that. While few will be happy to see Piz again but his presence does make story sense and Chris Lowell, who's done okay for himself since, is a much better actor now than then.           

What's most surprising is how serious everything is treated while still somehow retaining much of the fun. In a PG-13 rated film we're treated to swearing, bar fights and shootouts that wouldn't have been possible during the series' run due to budget constraints and network interference. And the class warfare aspect of Neptune is not only emphasized but kind of enhanced with a legitimate sense of danger looming. There's a feeling that the first time our favorite characters could actually be hurt, or perhaps worse.

The nine-year layoff for the characters is a blessing in disguise, as their aging assures the series can longer be pigeonholed into a genre it never quite belonged. It's also a slight detriment, since part of the original thrill came from a story of such epic scope revolving around high schoolers. Supporting players Wallace, Mac and Dick are given much more to do here than they were in all of the show's third season and help move along the plot rather than merely stop in for appearances sake. The big surprise in that regard is Weevil (Francis Capra) who's given a subplot that's almost downright shocking, playing on the character's shady past in a clever way.

Unexpectedly, the film is filled to the brim with cameos, one of the more notable coming from James Franco, who probably jumped at the chance to appear considering how he seems to have his hands in everything in pop culture. Bigger roles go to Gaby Hoffman as an obsessed Carrie Bishop impersonator who could also be a key witness/suspect in her murder and hugely successful show alum, Krysten Ritter, returning as Veronica's frenemy Gia Goodman. The part is expanded accordingly to capitalize on her presence, reminding us how we underestimated the actress' versatility the first go around.

My personal favorite recurring character, goofy private investigator Vinnie Van Lowe (Ken Marino!) also makes a comeback, integrated briefly into the case. And yes, Max Greenfield does show up as Deputy Leo. It's hard to think of any big names left out whose absence damage the film, with maybe the exception of the original Carrie Bishop, Leighton Meester. The murder plot was probably conceived with the actress in mind so her unavailability is a blow, as it's easy to imagine she could have brought a lot more to it now. Jessica Chastain or Aaron Paul returning just isn't realistic but boy would that have been a shock had either appeared.

There is some clunkiness to the central mystery, but what really does work is how the film incorporates modern technology and social media into the investigation of the crime. This is technology that didn't exist (at least to this extent) during the show's run, so it's only fitting for a series that was always slightly ahead of the curve to now be able to pull the trigger on it. Thomas and crew delivered as promised, wrapping the show's and its title character's return into a thematic package about the battle between holding on and letting go.

The idea that Keith wants better life for his daughter than one in Neptune and is downright disappointed and angry at the possibility she'd consider throwing it away really resonates. In fact, it resonates in a way the series hadn't at the end of its run. It does surprisingly look and feel like authentic Veronica Mars and there's far less of a drop-off in the quality of writing than you'd expect. It's really as good as it could have possibly been, at many points recalling the mood and tone of the first and second seasons rather than the far lesser one that succeeded them. And although it's been called it, this doesn't merely come off as a reunion show with Thomas attempting to do more than reassemble the cast and call it a day.

None of the events or characters feel jammed in and it's unnecessary for us to adjust our expectations for who is and isn't there like we did for Netflix's revival of Arrested Development. It's unfair to compare such wildly different reboots (in separate mediums nonetheless) but it's really the closest thing to this situation we've got, proving how creatively risky bringing back defunct properties can be. While a solid effort, even diehards couldn't claim that fourth season holds a candle to the previous three, or even slightly resembles the show it was.

The waters should have been even choppier for VM, but unlike AD, its saving grace is that it went out struggling with some unfinished business. And since the show's quality fluctuated and it didn't deliver three perfect seasons like that series did, expectations are lower. It also has to deliver one powerful extended episode instead of an entire season, with the catch being that it has to look and feel cinematic, which it does. Add to that the pressure of the mainstream paying attention because of this untested funding and distribution model. Casual eyes have never really been on this series before and even if it is made to appeal primarily to fans, there has to be some entry point for everyone else. Or does there?

Whether this film appeals to those who haven't seen the show doesn't really even matter. When you consider how much work it took to resurrect this and the circumstances under which it eventually happened, the movie's potential success is dependent on the fan base being just large enough to eliminate risk for Warner Bros. This is being sold as a product with preexisting loyalty and familiarity so casual viewers just won't have the same long-term investment in the characters. But that doesn't mean someone who's never seen an episode wouldn't enjoy it. It just means they'd likely enjoy it on an entirely different level. As a smart mystery thriller.

As much potential as there is for this saga to continue or for the series to undergo a full-blown resurrection, ending it here would also be fine. Rob Thomas and this cast should never have to beg for money or hustle this hard because Warner Bros. won't financially support the series. The studio couldn't even manage to follow through on their basic publicity and marketing obligations. But regardless of those issues, there's no denying the Kickstarter approach works best for a property exactly like this. It wasn't about making Veronica Mars "happen" since that ship sailed a while ago, but rather giving the series the victory lap it deserves. And they delivered, making this trip back to Neptune one worth taking.