The first time I saw this I realized that no one was saying the word “rape” through the entire film and that it was definitely a conscious choice, but I wondered why. As you get closer to the climax with Al Monroe, it starts to feel like she does this so it hits like a brick when his admission is the first time the word is uttered, only to have that moment stolen from you with... you know. As much as it guts you, I liked that choice.

Feels like a little bit of the luster is gone on a second watch, but not so much that I don’t still think it’s one of the best films of the year. Several women have written very thoughtful pieces on their mixed reception with regard to the ending and you’re better off reading their takes on it than mine, but I do think Cassie’s death is a choice that sinks in just how hollow the concept of “justice” is in a scenario like this. It feels like a very sobering moment that steals the hope from you only to give you a big release in the final moments of the movie, but the exact kind of release where you don’t forget that they’re still dead– the exact kind of “justice” that you can only hope for in any assault case like this, where punishment for the predators won’t undo or make up for the crime that has been done to the victims. In that, Fennell does something really impressive, in giving you a catharsis you can’t completely enjoy.

Also, while I’m here, who was making all those fancy baked goods at the coffee shop