History Trivia / PromisingYoungWoman

* CreatorCameo: Director/writer Emerald Fennell is the [=YouTube=] vlogger that Cassie watches for a makeup tutorial.

* CreatorCameo: Director/writer Emerald Fennell is the YouTube vlogger that Cassie watches for a makeup tutorial.

* FakeAmerican: The characters are American. Creator/CareyMulligan (Cassie) is British.

* DuelingWorks: Was initially set to be released around a year after the Creator/OliviaWilde film ''A Vigilante'', which features a similar premise (a woman takes it upon herself to punish abusers - in this case, domestic abusers - after suffering a traumatic incident, building toward a confrontation with her own abuser), though with a more consistently dark tone and fewer subversive elements. Both were acclaimed by critics, but ''Promising Young Woman'' received a much stronger audience reception, had a wider release and won numerous awards, while ''Vigilante'' largely fell under the radar.

* PlayingAgainstType: Both of Cassie's parents

** Creator/JenniferCoolidge, best known for her comedic ditz roles and as Stifler's "MILF" in the American Pie series, plays a regular down to earth mother passive-aggressively trying to push her daughter out of being a BasementDweller and isn't funny about it.

** Creator/BoBurnham, whose directorial debut ''Film/EighthGrade'' also featured a NearRapeExperience between a so-called "nice guy" and the protagonist, and who often sets his comedy sets around DoggedNiceGuy types, plays Ryan, a "nice guy" [[spoiler:who actually refuses to take accountability for his past actions (or lack thereof), lies about his knowledge of Cassie's whereabouts when she disappears, and -- to top it all off-- attends Al's wedding, knowing what he'd done.]]

** Creator/JenniferCoolidge, best known for her comedic ditz roles, plays a mother passive-aggressively trying to push her daughter out of being a BasementDweller and isn't funny about it.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/ClancyBrown not only as a NiceGuy, but probably the nicest person in the cast. The fact that that this is a movie where AllMenArePerverts or compliant in such behavior makes this even more noticeable.

** Creator/BoBurnham, whose directorial debut ''Film/EighthGrade'' also featured a NearRapeExperience between a so-called "nice guy" and the protagonist, and who often sets his comedy sets around DoggedNiceGuy types, plays Ryan, a "nice guy" [[spoiler:who actually refuses to take accountability for his past actions (or lack thereof), lies about his knowledge of Cassie's whereabouts when she dissappears, and -- to top it all off-- attends Al's wedding, knowing what he'd done.]]

** Creator/BoBurnham, whose directorial debut ''Film/EighthGrade'' also featured a NearRapeExperience between a so-called "nice guy" and the protagonist, and who often sets his comedy sets around DoggedNiceGuy types, plays Ryan, [[spoiler:an AffablyEvil "nice guy" who refuses to take accountability for his past actions (or lack thereof), lies about his knowledge of Cassie's whereabouts when she dissappears, and-- to top it all off-- attends Al's wedding, knowing what he'd done.]]
** [[https://www.gq.com/story/promising-young-woman-emerald-fennell-adam-brody-max-greenfield-christopher-mintz-plasse-interview The]] [[https://www.theringer.com/movies/2021/1/19/22238452/promising-young-woman-casting-adam-brody-bo-burnham-max-greenfield intent]] behind casting Creator/AdamBrody, Creator/ChristopherMintzPlasse, Creator/MaxGreenfield, and Creator/ChrisLowell. They are known for playing "nice guys"[[note]] in ''Series/TheOC'', ''Film/{{Superbad}}'', ''Series/VeronicaMars''[=/=]''Series/NewGirl'', and ''Veronica Mars''[=/=]''Series/{{GLOW}}'' respectively[[/note]] and play their characters in the film with similar earnestness and charm. However, their characters invariably turn out to be sleazy predators.
** Creator/AlisonBrie and Creator/ConnieBritton also generally play sunny, lovable characters, making their roles here hit pretty hard.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The [[https://variety.com/2021/film/news/promising-young-woman-ending-spoilers-2-1234885400/ original ending]] was even darker than the one that the film ultimately had, [[spoiler:with Al and Joe [[TheBadGuyWins getting away with killing Cassie and successfully disposing of her corpse]] instead of getting dealt a KarmaHoudiniWarranty by Cassie's ThanatosGambit]]. Emerald Fennell said that she still preferred the original ending, but her financiers thought it was much too bleak.

* FakeAmerican: The characters are American. Carey Mulligan (Cassie) is British.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/ClancyBrown as a NiceGuy. The fact that that this is a movie where AllMenArePerverts or compliant in such behavior makes this even more noticeable.

** Creator/AllisonBrie and Creator/ConnieBritton also generally play sunny, lovable characters, making their roles here hit pretty hard.

** [[https://www.gq.com/story/promising-young-woman-emerald-fennell-adam-brody-max-greenfield-christopher-mintz-plasse-interview The]] [[https://www.theringer.com/movies/2021/1/19/22238452/promising-young-woman-casting-adam-brody-bo-burnham-max-greenfield intent]] behind casting Creator/AdamBrody, Creator/ChristopherMintzPlasse, Creator/MaxGreenfield, and Creator/ChrisLowell. They are known for playing "nice guys"[[note]] in ''Series/TheOC'', ''Film/{{Superbad}}'', ''Series/VeronicaMars''[=/=]''Series/NewGirl'', and ''Veronica Mars''[=/=]''Series/{{GLOW}}'' respectively[[/note]] and play their characters in the film with similar earnestness and charm. However, their characters invariably turn out to be sleazy predators.

** [[https://www.gq.com/story/promising-young-woman-emerald-fennell-adam-brody-max-greenfield-christopher-mintz-plasse-interview The intent]] behind casting Creator/AdamBrody, Creator/ChristopherMintzPlasse, and Creator/MaxGreenfield, who are known for playing "nice guys"[[note]] in ''Series/TheOC'', ''Film/{{Superbad}}'', and ''Series/VeronicaMars''[=/=]''Series/NewGirl''[[/note]]. Their characters in the film turn out to be just as sleazy as the next one.