Genre: Action and Adventure

Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

Lead Actors: Millie Bobby Brown, Nick Robinson, Angela Bassett & Robin Wright.

Plot Summary:

The movie ‘Damsel’ was released on the streaming service Netflix on March 8th, 2024. A young lady named Elodie, played by Millie Bobby Brown, accepts Prince Henry’s attractive marriage proposal, played by Nick Robinson, only to find out it is all a trap. She is placed inside a cave with a dragon that breathes fire, and her only chances of survival are by using her cunning and willpower.

First impression:

In the first part of the movie, viewers quickly sense that something is off about the royals of Aurea. They seem like a perfect royal family, but viewers uncover the truth as the movie progresses. The plot of the film is nothing out of the ordinary. A young lady goes against stereotypes and wins in the end. That story has been told before. ‘Damsel’ did have a few minor plot twists that needed to be predicted. Instead of killing the Dragon, Elodie teams up with the dragon to strike revenge on the royal family.

What I liked about the film:

What I liked about the film was the cast. Millie Bobby Brown (best known for her role in ‘Stranger Things’), who plays Elodie, does a great job not playing a damsel in distress. She played a believable girl escaping a terrifying beast. Angela Bassett played a great, caring stepmother. While her role in the movie was not huge, she performed excellently. The dragon was voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo, whose voice was Immediately recognizable. She did a fantastic job at portraying someone who was vengeful and hurting.

Another thing that I liked about the film was the setting. The Island was gorgeous, and the castle helped set the fairytale feeling of the film’s beginning. The setting got darker and grimmer as the film continued, which immensely helped with storytelling. The costumes were a great fit for the time. The music did a fantastic job setting the scene. The music was hopeful and romantic initially; then, slowly, the music got more sinister as time passed. The music became more cheerful as the movie got to the end. I enjoyed some of the characters, such as Elodie. I was pleased that they did not make her character dumb or weak. She was able to adapt quickly to being thrown from the chasm. Lady Bayford, Elodie’s stepmother, was pushy initially, but she quickly became a good person when she tried to save Elodie from the marriage.

What I disliked about the film:

What I disliked about the film was that the pacing was a little fast. Once the movie got to the wedding scene, the movie went by quickly. Some of the effects were off-putting. I wouldn’t say I liked how the fire the dragon was breathing looked like lava. I wouldn’t say I liked some of the characters. Lord Bayford, Elodie’s father, sold her to a family that he knew was going to sacrifice her, and he still went with the deal. It makes him very unloyal to his daughter. In the end, he cannot handle the guilt, and that is why he tries to rescue her. Queen Isabelle, Prince Henry’s mother, is one of the story’s true villains. She sacrifices these girls without caring about the world. She does not even bother to say their name correctly. In the end, she gets what is coming to her. While not the worst character in the film, Prince Henry was the wrong person. He knew what he was doing was wrong, yet he let his mother tell him what to do. Prince Henry was a pushover. ‘Damsel ‘Needed more character development. Elodie was already a strong character and had to adapt throughout the movie.

Final Verdict:

My final thoughts on the movie are that the movie did not stand out from other films in the genre. It had a great cast and a decent storyline with a fast pacing. The movie intended for the viewers to believe that the dragon was the sole villain and that the people of Aurea were more likely to be helpless people. When in reality, the settlers were the real villains because they killed the dragon’s children and proceeded to three sacrifice innocent girls each generation. The story only had a minor plot twist. Ultimately, the film did not excite me enough, and I will likely forget that this film exists. I rate this film a 3 out of 5 stars.