Promising Young Woman is a cautionary tale – feminist vigilantes don’t make the world a better place
Emerald Fennell’s divisive thriller asks of itself: can revenge ever be righteous? Let's hope some feminists don’t get the wrong idea
Vigilante: Carey Mulligan in Promising Young Woman
Credit: Focus Features
One of the great advantages of fiction compared to real life is that you don’t have to be fair or play nice. All of the most extreme feelings harboured by a culture can be enacted on the stage, the page or the big screen and – hopefully – received as entertainment. Indeed, fantasy is a far better place than reality to explore unpleasant sentiments and desires, the better that they are exercised (or exorcised) in a realm without consequences – apart from, that is, potential offence taken by whichever type of person is being mocked (or murdered).