10 Recent Movies That Surprised EVERYONE

Though Promising Young Woman was well-received at its Sundance premiere back in January 2020, few could've anticipated how drastically the world would change in the months that followed.

And with release strategies and awards shows both forced to adapt amid the pandemic, it seemed likely that Emerald Fennell's blackly comedic thriller would end up released direct-to-streaming before year's end.

But Focus Features seemingly knew they had a banger on their hands, and held out for almost an entire year before giving the film a theatrical-only release, which they effectively parlayed into a mighty awards campaign.

Despite seeming like it was destined to become a cult gem that would only earn its rightful due years from now, Promising Young Woman went on to receive five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Carey Mulligan), and even a Best Original Screenplay win for Fennell.

Without getting into spoilers, it's also fair to say that the film's third act went in a direction few could've anticipated from the way the movie was marketed, generating intense discussion about its themes and how they relate to the state of the world today.

That a film covering such discomforting subject matter with such utter fearlessness received all-timer awards plaudits is something few would've expected when it premiered in early 2020.