Promising Young Woman Scene Deconstruction

Promising young woman, directed and written by Emerald Fennell is a dark comedy thriller about Carey Mulligan, a woman who struggles with her traumatic past and seeks vengeance against the men who have wronged her and her best friend Nina. Cassie is like a modern-day vigilante set on exposing the most dangerous type of men: those who consider themselves "nice guys." She accomplishes this by going out to bars alone and pretending to be too drunk to get home by herself. This often attracts men that will take her back to their place, assuming she is too intoxicated to fend off their advances. When she gets back to their place, she drops the act (usually the moment before they are about to have sex with her) to reveal that she is sober, and makes these men own up to their disgusting actions, asking them why they would take advantage of someone so vulnerable. 

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We later learn that Cassie does this because in college her best friend Nina was raped, and the whole event was recorded. There were no legal repercussions for Nina's abusers, and consequently, she killed herself. This is why Cassie is hellbent on exposing these men and getting justice for Nina. 

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The scene from this movie is between Cassie and her old friend from college Madison. While Madison presumes that they are just getting lunch to catch up, Cassie is actually trying to get her drunk to confront her about Nina's death. 

One of the first things that stood out to me in this scene was the costuming. When Madison enters the background, we can see that she is in a white dress. It appears that Nina is in a white button-up shirt, but when stands up to greet Madison we see that she is also wearing black pants. This strategic framing of the pants gives viewers the hint that Cassie and Madison are opposites and probably going to be at odds. If Cassie represents the rejection of the patriarchy, then Madison represents the embrace of it. We learn very quickly that Madison is the "perfect" stay-at-home mom and she thinks that she has achieved the role that everyone has strived for. When Cassie tells her that she doesn't have kids, Madison goes so far as to say "You'll get there," in response. Their costumes emulate their values. Madison's white dress represents traditional feminity and morality, while Cassie's black pants represent her rejection of it and her black and white view of justice. Even their hair reinforces the roles that they are meant to play in society. While they are the same age, Madison's brown, shoulder-length hair is meant to make her seem more mature and put together, while Cassie's long blond hair with bangs is reminiscent of a typical "party girl," like someone who is still in college. 

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For most of this scene, we get over-the-shoulder shots of both women to keep us engaged as they catch up. However, as the conversation intensifies and Cassie repeatedly asks Madison "What you do?" if a friend came to her for help, the camera begins to zoom away from Cassie's face but zooms more directly into Madison's face (3:23). This choice lets the viewer feel Madison's discomfort as she slowly begins to realize that she was set up and Cassie continues to grill her. 

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This scene completely shifts at 4:45, when we a shot of Cassie's head beneath the only red light in the restaurant as she's getting up to leave. Although she's telling Madison "It really is so great seeing you again," the red light not only symbolizes the anger that she feels but also the danger Madison now faces while drunk and vulnerable. As Cassie is leaving, she gives Madison's room key to a man at the bar raising the stakes for Madison's safety.