The dark comedy PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN follows Cassie, who, as the title suggests, had a bright future before her life was derailed by a tragic event. Rather than accepting her fate, Cassie begins to live a double life — one person by day, another by night — to right the wrongs of her past.
We spoke with the movie's writer and director, Emerald Fennell, and the star of the film, Carey Mulligan, to get their take on what makes PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN different. Carey Mulligan said, "the script is just so brilliant. I hadn’t read anything like it. I didn’t know where it was going, and every time I thought I did, I got wrongfooted." Fennell added, "I just wanted to write a revenge movie with a real woman at the center of it."
For Mulligan, getting to portray a character like Cassie seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity. She told us, "I knew that if anybody else played the part, I would be really annoyed and upset, and that’s usually a great indicator that I should just immediately jump in. Which I did."
The supporting cast is also loaded with familiar faces, including Connie Britton, Alison Brie, Bo Burnham, and Adam Brody. Fennell spoke to us about how crucial the casting process was, saying she wanted to cast actors the audience perceived as "Good people and then, kind of, as you slowly realize they might not be so good.” She added, “I think casting people against type really helps the audience question their alliances.”
Carey Mulligan wrapped up our interview by discussing the powerful message behind the film, saying, “I’m excited by the idea of people going away and talking about it, however they feel, and that those conversations will carry on. You always want to be a part of a film that people will talk about in the weeks and months after they’ve seen it, and hopefully years." She added, “I do think Emerald has made a film that people will be talking about in years to come.”
Check out our full interview for PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN:
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN opens on December 25!
All images courtesy of Focus Features.