The Social Problem Film Genre

Promising Young Woman (2020): A Social Problem Film First Draft

Introduction

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.

The Public Power Gap in Promising Young Woman

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.

In the film, “The Public” can be understood as situations that women have to go through either in public spaces or behind closed doors, because that is where this issue of their devaluation occurs: lip-service is paid to women in public—but what the public really thinks can be observed when the action actually transpires in private. In this sense, it is similar and different to the situation Jews face in Gentleman’s Agreement, where Jews are denied work, homes, and courtesy—in public—but in private sympathy is paid (i.e., the scene with Kathy and David near the end). In Promising Young Woman, what happens to women is always behind closed doors and is shrugged off and women are blamed for what happens. In fact, in the film, the dean actually makes this exact statement. The film’s first scene is in a public setting, a bar (where this issue tends to take place) and is further explored by the disgusting comments the men make in the dialogue as they observe the protagonist act very drunk. This scene can be contrasted with the Dean's office, which is at a college (a public institution also) where these things happen more often than other places by college students. The dean is part of the problem allowing blame to be put on the victims—so in something of a confrontation, she is forced to empathize with the protagonist’s traumatic past by the protagonist.

What the film shows is that these things can happen anywhere—walking down the street (shown by catcalling harassment, bars, restaurants, high schools, colleges, courtrooms). For this reason, the film can be characterized as socially conscious horror. One sees, for example, at a high school how easy it is to pick up a high school girl and how easy it is to lie and manipulate a girl into her car.

Furthermore, the court room is a public institution that is mentioned when our protagonist visits the lawyer responsible for justice not taking place which is a real-life occurrence that happens all the time, men are never sentenced for these crimes. There is also the scene where Cassie is in the mirror when a tutorial is given on how to get “blowjob lips”—which speaks on women having to sexualize themselves to be seen as desirable. The Party itself is a public place where these things happen and is shown off screen but can be heard when, finally, evidence of the night is revealed. Likewise, hospitals are public institutions where many men work and this location is shown where Cassie’s boyfriend is shown and he is later revealed to be a part of the problem. Cassie is catcalled near the beginning of the film in a public space walking to work, something that many women have to go through every day as well. Additionally, the scene in the film with the second man who is confronted is a good scene because he is actually fully confronted by Cassie. He is questioned and he represents everything wrong with men and men’s thought processes.

However, from a mental health aspect our protagonist is depressed and has lost motivation and so did her friend which led to her suicide. This is evident in the first image of the second set of stills below: we see Cassie alone, depressed, totally lost in her designs. The film, as a result, basically says that people who are compliant or let it happen or who do not help actually make it worse: they are part of the problem and they are also responsible for these things happening, either by their way of thinking or their actions that contribute to justice not being taken against the person who committed the violence. That idea is reflected in the final set of stills below.

Ultimately, we see that from scene to scene we follow Cassie as she falls victim to the men who say that they are a “good guy” and each scene also gives us important dialogue about what women go through and their thought processes about what is morally correct related to sex, consent, alcohol and what assault is. We learn everything about the reality of society with regard to where women stand in men’s eyes, in their own eyes, in society’s eyes, and in the public’s eyes. The film tells us what is right and what is wrong and it is all true, whether you know it or not. People who see this will either outright agree with what the director is saying or they will learn something new when it comes to sex and consent. But—if you do not agree—does it mean you are pat of the problem? That seems to be what the director is suggesting, and what Elia Kazan suggests in Gentlemen’s Agreement about silence equaling violence.

Thus, it can be said that 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 ultimately fails to make it (she is killed). 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).

The Evolution of the Social Film

With that said, Promising Young Woman (2020) stands out overall as a testament to the evolution of the social problem film, directly confronting the issues that traditional message movies, like Blackboard Jungle and White Dog, often relegated to subplot status or overlooked entirely. This film, through the lens of Cassie's story, foregrounds sexual violence and also critically examines society’s complicity in silencing victims.

For example, in traditional social problem films, the emphasis frequently lands on resolving broader social issues, such as juvenile delinquency in Blackboard Jungle or racism in White Dog or antisemitism in Gentleman’s Agreement, with sexual violence being a plot point that fails to receive the scrutiny or resolution it demands. Promising Young Woman diverges from this path by making the repercussions of sexual violence and the systemic failures to address it the nucleus of its narrative. The film articulates a powerful critique of societal indifference and the ways in which systems of power protect perpetrators while victimizing survivors further. This is vividly illustrated in the scene where Cassie confronts Dean Elizabeth Walker about her disregard for Nina's assault, showcasing the institutional betrayal that often accompanies such incidents.

Moreover, the film challenges the white, patriarchal perspective that dominates traditional social problem films. By centering a woman's quest for justice in a society that frequently dismisses her trauma, Promising Young Woman reimagines the message film for a contemporary audience. It articulates a mutation of the social problem film, showcasing how these narratives can evolve to address the nuances of modern societal issues.

Comparing this with Gentleman's Agreement, a film that tackles antisemitism rather than sexism within American society, Promising Young Woman extends the conversation around discrimination to include the pervasive issue of gender-based violence. Whereas Gentleman's Agreement sought to challenge societal prejudices through its protagonist's experiences, Promising Young Woman uses Cassie's quest to highlight the often-invisible barriers and biases that survivors of sexual violence face.

Incorporating the professor's notes on film comparison and illustrations, Promising Young Woman indeed contrasts sharply with films like Blackboard Jungle and White Dog in its treatment of sexual violence. While the latter films diminish sexual violence to mere plot devices, Promising Young Woman centralizes it, refusing to allow the issue to be swept under the rug. This shift not only emphasizes the film's critique of societal negligence but also challenges viewers to confront their own biases and complicity in a culture that often prioritizes the protection of male perpetrators over the justice and dignity of survivors.

This narrative decision to foreground Cassie's revenge against those who wronged Nina — and by extension, against a society that enables such wrongs — speaks to the film's broader critique of contemporary gender dynamics. It is a critique that is absent from many earlier social problem films, which, despite their progressive intentions, often failed to fully engage with the complexity of gendered violence. To that point, Schatz explains how genre films (not genres themselves) achieve the effect of “stop[ing] time”—a concept that helps to explain the way social problem films make the leap from fiction to message delivery system. Cassie’s actions and the film’s ending can be understood, ultimately, as a message being sent by the director to the audience and to society as a whole: rape is wrong, and yet society seems to implicitly condone it by its silence. That silence was felt in the film Gentleman’s Agreement—but that was about antisemitism. A Promising Young Woman aims to make that silence felt in the 21st century with respect to women’s treatment

In this way, it becomes clear that Promising Young Woman not only dialogues with its predecessors in the genre but also carves out a new path. It demands that its audience reckon with the reality of sexual violence and the systemic structures that perpetuate it, making a compelling case for the evolution of the social problem film in addressing the pressing issues of its time.

In the first image, we see Cassie at the bachelor party, poised in her nurse costume, symbolizing the climax of her revenge plot. In the second image, we see White Dog on the attack. Both are basically acting in a defense mode. However, the juxtaposition highlights the contrast between the methods of addressing ingrained societal issues: one through personal vengeance against systemic injustice, and the other through the reprogramming of hate, which could suggest different narratives around the possibility of change or redemption.

"White Dog" addresses racism through the story of a dog trained to attack black people, using the animal as a metaphor for learned hate. While it confronts the issue of racism head-on, its allegorical approach and resolution through the reconditioning of the dog provide a stark contrast to "Promising Young Woman's" unyielding portrayal of societal complicity in gender-based violence. Fennell's film refuses easy resolutions, opting instead for a nuanced exploration of revenge and justice within a culture that often silences survivors.

In the first image, we see Cassie alone in her room, reflecting her isolation and the weight of her mission; a powerful symbol of her internal struggle and the ultimate despair she faces. In the second image, we see Glenn Ford in the classroom, surrounded by his students, which captures the essence of trying to make a difference within a system. The juxtaposition reflects the challenges of effecting change from within, whether in the context of a corrupt educational system or a society that dismisses sexual violence. It also contrasts the solitary journey of Cassie against the communal setting of a classroom.