Promising Young Woman Social Problem Film Analysis

From the onset, it would be prudent to note that as Doles (2023) points out, “social problem films (sometimes called social-consciousness films, message movies, or other similar phrases) are films that dramatize some set of concerns, which they depict as broadly representative of the conditions of their historical moment” (n.p.). Thus, in essence, a social problem film could be conceptualized as one that fuses or blends a wider social conflict with the conflict – at the individual level – between the various characters depicted therein. The larger social conflict in the case of Promising Young Woman (2020) happens to be victim blaming and failure to respect the choices and wishes of vulnerable women. Rape culture continues to be perpetuated by failure to bridge the gender power gap in as far as decision making is concerned. It could be argued that it is this power gap that promotes women oppression. It is this same power gap that makes some men feel they have justification to take advantage of vulnerable women.

This larger social conflict has been integrated into the conflicts occurring between the film’s characters by way of the encounters that Cassie has as she pushes thirty. Cassie finds (or inserts) herself into numerous scenarios where her vulnerability (appearing drunk) serves as a motivating factor for some guys to want to have sex with her. Examples of this are the encounter between Jerry and Cassie, as well as her encounter with Neil. The social conflict highlighted herein also ties to Cassie’s resolve to change the narrative, while at the same time seeking to ensure that her friend Nina finally gets that elusive justice she so deserves. It could be argued that the maintenance of privilege and power over women by men effectively gets in the way of attempts to secure justice for women who happen to be victims of violence. This is clearly the case with Dean Elizabeth Walker’s failure to interrogate Nina’s reported assault and instead electing to take the perpetrator’s (AI) side. Further, it should also be noted that the fact that a woman has agency must never be used as justification for oppression or violence (such as rape) in scenarios such as the ones recounted in this text.

Women continue to be vulnerable in today’s modern setting despite efforts to address gender inequities and ensure that male privilege and power is not used to the detriment of women. This has been alluded to in the film Promising Young Woman (2020), in which case our protagonist fails to make it. This is a clear pointer to the fact that the issue is yet to be resolved. This does not, however, mean that the concern cannot be addressed. Indeed, as Maland (as cited in Gehring, 1998) points out, there is nothing in a social problem that makes it impossible to address following the formulation and implementation of effective solutions. Indeed, in the words of the author, “implicit in the very notion of the term social problem is the belief that something can be done about it that the problem has a solution” (Maland, 1998, 306).