Promising Young Woman (2020), directed by Emerald Fennell

Turning 30, Cassie works in a coffee shop and has lived with her parents since dropping out of medical school some years earlier. Her life is seemingly aimless, but she actually has a clear focus and purpose. She regularly pretends to be pass-out drunk in clubs, and then turns the tables on the men who inevitably try to take advantage. Her behaviour is frighteningly risky – a reaction to a traumatic event in college, but it is an extreme method of education rather than revenge. A chance meeting with an old classmate puts Cassie at a crossroads – will she take a path of direct action or can she finally move on from the past and contemplate a brighter future. Carey Mulligan is never less than excellent and she is compelling in this role. The uniformly strong supporting cast includes Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Connie Britton and Chris Lowell. Bleakly funny and whip smart, the twists and turns provide unexpected tension, turning the film into a thriller. The music and production design are sublime. It has been described as a #MeToo film, but is actually one step beyond that, exploding the myth of the good guy and using examples from real life to clearly articulate that the standard you walk past is the standard you accept. Cassie deals savagely with enablers, but always gives them a chance to repent. Knowing the premise and the director you expect this film to pack a punch, you just don’t realise it will land such a hard blow as to leave you gasping. Confronting, shocking, funny and emotionally devastating, this is not a comfortable film but one that is very necessary.