Thoroughbreds (2017)
Before Emerald Fennell was serving revenge ice-cold, Cory Finley’s 'Thoroughbreds' was exploring the chilling vacuum of emotion in the lives of wealthy Connecticut teens. The film follows Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) and the emotionless Amanda (Olivia Cooke),
two estranged childhood friends who reconnect and hatch a plan to solve their problems by murdering Lily's oppressive stepfather. What makes 'Thoroughbreds' a perfect companion piece is its razor-sharp, theatrical dialogue and its darkly comedic tone. It trades the righteous anger of 'Promising Young Woman' for a more unsettling, nihilistic curiosity about morality. It’s less about justice and more about what happens when disaffected, privileged young women decide to apply their intelligence to a problem with the most extreme solution imaginable. The film shares a similar stylish precision and a stunning performance from an up-and-coming actress, making it a must-see for those who appreciate a thriller that's as smart as it is unnerving.
Hard Candy (2005)
If 'Promising Young Woman' is a scalpel, 'Hard Candy' is a rusty box cutter. This film is arguably the spiritual predecessor to Cassie’s crusade, presenting a far more claustrophobic and viscerally uncomfortable tale of vengeance. A 14-year-old girl named Hayley (a breakout role for Elliot Page) arranges to meet a 30-something fashion photographer (Patrick Wilson) she met online. When he takes her back to his house, the power dynamic shifts violently as Hayley reveals she suspects him of being a predator and takes him captive to extract a confession. The film is a two-hander, a psychological chess match set almost entirely in one location that forces the audience to question who is the predator and who is the prey. It's a raw, difficult watch that directly confronts the themes of vigilantism and retribution that 'Promising Young Woman' explores with a more satirical lens. Be warned: it's an intense and deeply unsettling experience.
Revenge (2017)
For those who appreciated the core 'woman wronged, woman gets even' plot of 'Promising Young Woman' but could handle a more brutal, action-heavy approach, Coralie Fargeat’s 'Revenge' is essential viewing. The story is brutally simple: Jen (Matilda Lutz) is on a desert getaway with her wealthy, married boyfriend when his hunting buddies arrive early. After she is assaulted and left for dead, she recovers and begins hunting the men who wronged her. Where 'Promising Young Woman' uses social tactics and psychological warfare, 'Revenge' uses a shotgun and sheer survival instinct. Fargeat turns the often exploitative 'rape-revenge' subgenre on its head, weaponizing the male gaze by transforming her protagonist from a passive object of desire into an unstoppable force of nature. It's a visually stunning, blood-soaked, and ultimately cathartic feminist action film that delivers on its title in the most visceral way possible.
The Handmaiden (2016)
While tonally different, Park Chan-wook’s lavish, erotic thriller shares a deep-seated desire to see women outsmart and overthrow the oppressive patriarchal systems designed to control them. Set in 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea, the film follows Sook-hee, a pickpocket hired by a conman to become the handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, Lady Hideko, as part of a scheme to defraud her. What unfolds is a complex, twisting narrative of deception, shifting allegiances, and an unexpected romance between the two women. Like 'Promising Young Woman', 'The Handmaiden' is meticulously crafted and visually decadent. It's a story about women finding solidarity and agency in a world built by and for predatory men, using their wits to turn the tables on their captors. It proves that revenge can be as intellectually satisfying and emotionally resonant as it is violent.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014)
Ana Lily Amirpour’s debut has been billed as the 'first Iranian vampire Western', and it’s every bit as cool as that sounds. Shot in stark black-and-white, the film follows a lonely, skateboarding female vampire who stalks the desolate streets of 'Bad City', preying on men who disrespect women. She is a silent, chador-wearing avenger, a specter of feminist rage who targets the town's predators. Like 'Promising Young Woman', this film subverts genre expectations to deliver a powerful feminist statement. It uses the vampire mythos as a tool for a vigilante to mete out a specific kind of justice. The style is less pop-art and more Jim Jarmusch-inspired indie, but the spirit is the same: a lone woman turning the tables on a world that sees her as a victim, becoming a hunter in the darkness. It’s a moody, stylish, and quietly revolutionary take on the female avenger.
