-This movie captured my attention through the combination of its playful pastel color palette and its brutal revenge-seeking protagonist. A juxtaposition that was very much on purpose.-
Emerald Fennell succeeded in creating a momentous metamodernist masterpiece as only a sophomore director. It’s a film that satisfies mainstream critics while being edgy enough to become a lasting cult classic—something reminiscent of Harmony Korine’s 2012 film Spring Breakers. Both films share similarities in aesthetic and cinematography. They open with outlandish dance/party scenes set to hyper-popular songs, using similar ratios and framing techniques. Both feature playful title screens and fonts. Both cast super likable actors in perverse roles that make us cringe to see them in. And most notably, both employ vibrant, playful color palettes while delivering violent narratives punctuated by drastic tonal shifts.
While Spring Breakers does a fantastic job tugging on our heartstrings, it just couldn’t strike the poignant chord that A Promising Young Woman does. Korine’s storytelling feels a bit like that of a tourist, whereas Fennell’s approach is personal and deeply affecting. Take the opening scene, for example. It’s clearly reminiscent of Spring Breakers’ opening, using sexy dance sequences set to popular music—an old trope. However, Korine uses it ironically, pointing out the absurdity of bro culture. Fennell, on the other hand, takes it a step further by reversing the roles, showing “average” men gyrating in her opening segment. This reversal exposes what media might look like to those who find seductive imagery of women unappealing. As a mostly straight man in a hetero-male-centric world, it’s easy to live without ever questioning that perspective—a realization Fennell makes impossible to ignore.
I could go on and on about how cool and original this film is. For instance, I love how the soundtrack is saturated with Britney Spears’ music, especially in scenes demanding serious attention. It creates an unexpectedly fun sensation: one moment, we’re “bopping” to nostalgic ’90s tween pop and enjoying playful visuals, and the next, we’re plunged into a violent, gut-wrenching sequence. The tonal whiplash is thrilling. I also love how Fennell uses the angelic-beauty trope as a stark contrast to the “horny devils” portrayed throughout the film—possibly foreshadowing an ultimate sacrifice for the sins of others. Or consider how the film’s title points out the way society prematurely martyrs boys and men, focusing on their so-called “promising futures.” But above all, I love how this movie defies the conventions of typical female revenge films.
Historically, the femme fatale archetype, from the “Vamp” (A Fool There Was, 1915) to my childhood favorite action-girl trope, Sarah Connor (The Terminator, 1984), has often lacked dimensionality. Cassie Thompson, however, is not your typical female hero made “kickass” by adopting masculine traits. Instead, her stereotypical ’90s feminine appearance packs immense stopping power without relying on a tight, form-fitting holster. Fennell also gives us a more realistic revenge story. It doesn’t end in a wild gunfight or over-the-top theatrics. In fact, it hardly feels like revenge at all. It’s bigger than that—dare I say, holier. In a sense, it’s martyrdom. It’s justice. It’s about righting a wrong. This story feels purposeful, aiming not just to sell tickets or entertain, but to change hearts and minds.
The film offers an honest plea for self-redemption, pulling no punches when exposing a culture centered around manipulation. This theme is especially evident in the scenes where Cassie baits “nice-guy” predators into revealing their true selves. In these moments, she almost literally shapeshifts into the antagonist of their story, becoming their shadow. She picks away at their carefully constructed “nice-guy” personas, exposing their falseness. This transformational dynamic is something that should naturally occur in all of us, but it’s somehow been avoided by an entire population. Hence, these scenes feel so real and relatable.
Fennell ensures that these moments are as raw and authentic as possible. As a result, the film evokes the saddest kind of discomfort—the kind that comes from the creeping shame we all know we deserve to feel. For me, this movie brutally lays bare the instinctual defensiveness we all exhibit when confronted with harsh truths. It’s on display every time Cassie confronts one of the phony characters about their face-saving lies. Watching these all-too-familiar, cowardly reactions to confrontation play out on the big screen, in such honest and unflattering light, is sobering. Hopefully, it serves as a wake-up call for some of us to make a real, concerted effort toward self-redemption.
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