Carey Mulligan stars in genre-blending thriller 'Promising Young Woman'
FOX News' Ashley Dvorkin is joined by director Emerald Fennell and cast members to discuss the film's release.
In Carey Mulligan's new film, "Promising Young Woman," the British star is out for revenge on men who consider themselves to be "good guys."
The 35-year-old plays Cassie who feigns drunkenness to attract men promising her a "safe ride home." Instead, they wind up at his place, and just when Cassie is about to be taken advantage of, she springs into action.
Mulligan told Fox News while promoting the film that it addresses larger societal problems like holding men accountable for sexual assault and the toxic culture in which women are raised.
"What have we grown up with, what's become normal for us, you know, 'What part we will play in it?' And it's really examining that," she said.
"[The film] does make you examine your own behavior," she added.
Writer-director Emerald Fennell said it was challenging to balance a revenge thriller with some comedic moments and a pop music soundtrack.
Carey Mulligan plays Cassie in the revenge thriller 'Promising Young Woman.' (Courtesy of Focus Features)
"You don't necessarily expect a movie with Britney Spears in its soundtrack and a kind of multicolored hue to kick you in the crotch," she told Fox News.
Fennell said she hopes the movie inspires conversations about consent.
"This is a conversation that I think everyone should be kind of having," she reasoned. "We're talking about stuff that has been completely normalized for years and years."
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One of the film's other stars, Laverne Cox, described what the movie's themes meant to her.
"[We live in] a system that sort of excuses this kind of behavior and the way to make systemic change is each and every one of us as individuals, we have conversations with ourselves and then expand this conversation to the people in our lives," she reasoned.
Laverne Cox stars as 'Gail' in director Emerald Fennell’s 'Promising Young Woman.' (Merie Weismiller Wallace / Focus Features)
Cox, a transgender activist and advocate, aims to take on roles that are both mindful and entertaining in her career.
"If we can begin to tell stories that allow people to open up and begin to understand ways in which they don't feel safe, how people they may disagree with don't feel safe, and so that we can foster empathy and compassion for ourselves and each other then we won't hopefully be acting out of that fear in our politics," she told Fox News.
Cox added how informed conversations are able to start the work that needs to be done.
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"We need to begin to create a culture where it is OK for straight men to find trans women attractive. I'm not saying they need to date us," she said. "I'm not saying they need to you know, act on that attraction... And that doesn't mean they need to be attacked. It doesn't mean they need to be harassed. That doesn't mean that you make fun of your friends.... that is the work that we really have to begin to do, with, parents and the boys that they're raising, that men need to be having conversations with each other."
"Promising Young Woman" is available on-demand Friday, January 15th.
Fox News' Ashley Dvorkin contributed to this report.
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