Promising Young Woman

A REQUIEM FOR THE FEMINIST KILLJOY Written and illustrated by Channing Smith, Art Director

Iadjust the collar of my sweater, fiddling with my tangled necklaces, and decide it is easier to tuck them away than to get to the root of the problem. Pushing the laundry behind me out of sight, I then coax my lamp at an angle so my face is softly lit. I’m ready to join the call.

“What a crazy week,” my boss begins, as if it has not been 365 days of crazy. When her announcements come to a close, with hopes of teasing a smile or an unmute from any of us, she asks if we’ve watched anything worthwhile lately.

For the first time today, I have something to say. “I watched ‘Promising Young Woman’ this weekend,” I offer.

“What’s it about?” my boss asks politely. I freeze, realizing I have grossly misjudged my audience.

“It’s about… uh,” I start. Gargling the word around in my mouth for a bit, I stall before spitting it out. “It’s about rape,” I finally say.

Her eyebrows arch, pushing themselves into her forehead, eyes widening for just a moment. Lips curving into a small o-shape, she gives a single, slow nod. The meeting ends shortly after.

The literal meaning of a killjoy is a person who deliberately spoils the enjoyment of others through resentful or overly sober behavior. I will be the first to admit, I am a killjoy and little to no fun.

However, scholar Sara Ahmed has rejected this definition, saying that a feminist killjoy does not simply spoil the enjoyment of others, but reveals that there is true sorrow, exploitation and objectification built into the foundation of this joy. The joy is killed either way, but in Ahmed’s world, it is killed in the name of justice.

Without warning, I have become the killjoy among my friends. I believe it is because I am the only Jew among us, cringing amidst mindless laughter at big-nosed characters munching on bagels. Having fallen into this role without realizing, I thought I might as well round out my portfolio and point out racist, sexist and homophobic humor in addition.

This laughter doesn’t come out of malice, but out of ignorance. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. Other people get to talk about things they enjoy – sports, music, travel – but no one seems as eager to discuss more intriguing issues like the gender pay gap with me. I have become “woke” to a fault, and if you tell me this, I’ll tell you that white people appropriated that word from African-American vernacular after years of telling Black people they were inarticulate.

But “Promising Young Woman” was made for us killjoys. Emerald Fennell’s #MeToo thriller takes back the narrative, suggesting that “I’m a good guy” is no longer an adequate enough excuse.

Fennell’s film follows medical school drop out Cassie (played by Casey Mulligan) as she mindlessly navigates her early thirties. Without a place of her own, a degree or a boyfriend, Cassie seems without ambition or direction, but she has taken up a secret hobby of her own. Each weekend, Cassie puts on her lipstick and pumps and goes clubbing. Appearing too drunk to stand, a nice guy always rushes to her rescue, quick to take her home. Once he crosses the line, Cassie snaps awake, revealing she is stone-cold sober. Revenge ensues.

On a mission to avenge her friend Nina, the titular promising young woman, Cassie, encounters all the actors who allow rape culture to continue to fester and grow. And no one is innocent.

There is certainly joy in the film: the candycolored sets and wardrobes as well as Bo Burnham’s charming performance as the comedic relief make you momentarily forget the core themes at hand. Amidst horror and sorrow, there are moments of dark comedy, chilling sarcasm, and yes, joy.

It is the killing of this joy that makes this film so satisfying and compelling.

“Promising Young Woman” does not promise you there is good in the world. Truthfully, it attests there are perhaps a lot more bad guys than good. It does not romanticize, glamorize or play into tropes. Nothing about the film is lazy, so surreal yet grounded in gutrenching reality. “Promising Young Woman” is a dramatic revenge fantasy, but on a deeper level it’s about what it really means to be a woman. ■