MovieChat Forums > Promising Young Woman (2020) Discussion > The big question (spoilers)

The big question (spoilers)

posted 4 years ago by Querelle (1603)
5 replies | jump to latest

Serious spoilers, do not read on unless you've seen the film, you've been warned.

The question is this:

Did Cassie go to the bachelor party planning on giving her life, thus ensuring the destruction of Al, or did she just see her death as a strong possibility and was prepared for either outcome?

I think the tally marks onscreen suggest she planned herself as number 4. I suppose if she had lived, maybe there wouldn't be a fifth tally, or perhaps there still would. Nothing says she was counting to any specific number.

I also feel like her overwhelming survivor's guilt that she "wasn't there" with Nina suggests she wanted to sacrifice herself. This mission was all she had left.

Also, being as smart as she is, she would know that if anyone could weasel their way out of the fallout from the video, it would be these guys. It's my opinion that she knew the only way to be absolutely certain they would go down is for murder.

[–] Nicko's Nose (1651) 4 years ago

I don’t know how she could’ve been sure he would kill her.

[–] Querelle (1603) 4 years ago

They were her cuffs. Sometimes when you put handcuffs (especially cheap ones) on as tight as they can go, they become more vulnerable to failure. She would know he'd use all his adrenaline juiced strength when confronted with threat of torture.

She couldn't have known the bed would be right for this scheme, and she couldn't have known the proper timing for all her messages, but it is just a movie and for me the entertainment value of the ending is too good to get hung up on the details.

And no, she couldn't be certain he would kill her, but putting someone in that desperate of a situation, where their life will be over if a secret comes out, and you'll refuse to be bought off, makes that outcome very possible.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

I don't think she was planning on dying, but she knew there was a risk and was prepared.

[–] Towelie_Towel (1773) 4 years ago

The director herself has said - I believe - that Cassie knew one of two things would happen: she would either go to prison, or she would get killed.

She also wanted to show Cassie failing, because it's also what happens in real life: a woman can't really use violence to defend herself against men, because men are just naturally stronger. So Cassie, even though she was smart and meticulous, she was overpowered. And that also shows how women are, in certain situations, at the mercy of men.

[–] FilmBoy (1160) 2 years ago

Ya - and why take off the plates from her car?