The film meticulously deconstructs the bureaucratic apathy surrounding campus sexual assault. We watch Cassie confront the university dean (Connie Britton), who explains that Nina "ruined her own life" by making accusations. We see her confront her former classmate Madison (Alison Brie), a "feminist" who watched the assault happen and did nothing because she didn't want to be a "bummer."
Then the film cuts to black. For a terrifying moment, the audience believes the nihilists have taken over. But wait. There is a final scene. Cassie arranged a dead man's switch. A text message is set to go to the police if she doesn't check in. The police arrive. Al is arrested. Promising Young Woman
Nina was Cassie’s best friend in medical school. They were the "promising young women" of the title—brilliant, driven, full of potential. Then, at a party, Nina was brutally sexually assaulted by a charismatic student named Al Monroe (Chris Lowell). The assault was witnessed by several peers, but nothing happened. The university, fearing scandal and donor backlash, called the assault "a misunderstanding." The dean called Nina "confused." For a terrifying moment, the audience believes the
While Cassie is dead, her plan works. She sacrificed herself to prove that the system only responds to undeniable proof. She became the martyr she never wanted to be. Cassie arranged a dead man's switch