Carey Mulligan is out for blood in first Promising Young Woman trailer

Carey Mulligan is taking no prisoners in the first trailer for the upcoming thriller Promising Young Woman, from Killing Eve showrunner and writer Emerald Fennell.

The Oscar-nominated actress leads the Margot Robbie-produced saga — billed as a "delicious new take on revenge" — as Cassie, a woman seemingly destined for greatness until a mysterious event abruptly derails her future plans. Using her wicked smarts and cunning attitude, she lives a dangerous double life by night, which thrusts her into an unexpected encounter that offers her the chance to right the wrongs of her past.

Judging by the preview, Cassie (or, as alluded to, someone close to her) grappled with sexual trauma at a young age. This inspires her to visit a new club every weekend, where she acts like she's "too drunk to stand" before allowing men to take her home and then punishing them when they try to take advantage of her.

The clip ends with Cassie — who'd previously set out for medical school before her plans derailed — dressed in a latex nurse outfit as she crashes a party with a set of very sharp medical tools. "I wanted to be a doctor my whole life," she says with a menacing grin, later pulling a syringe out of a zippered case. "Lately, I've been feeling like I might want to get back into it."

Written and directed by Fennell (also an actress, known for her work as Camilla Parker Bowles on Netflix's The Crown), Promising Young Woman features an ensemble cast including Bo Burnham, Laverne Cox, Alison Brie, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Max Greenfield, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chris Lowell, Sam Richardson, Molly Shannon, and Clancy Brown.

Fennell produced along with Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara for Robbie's LuckyChap Entertainment, and Ben Browning and Ashley Fox for FilmNation Entertainment.

The film will world-premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in January next to other titles starring Angelina Jolie, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tessa Thompson, Will Ferrell, Olivia Colman, Glenn Close, Lena Waithe, Julianne Moore, Ana de Armas, Jude Law, and Anne Hathaway.

Promising Young Woman is set for release on April 17. Watch the film's first trailer above.

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