‘Damsel’ (2024) Review – Fun Fairy Tale Adventure Bolstered By A Strong Millie Bobby Brown Performance

Netflix’s Damsel works better than it should because it’s not content telling a conventional fairy tale story that is topped with an added dose of adventure and action. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and written by Dan Mazeau, the film is an entertaining journey through a genre that everyone is familiar with but it mixes in a background message with some complex elements. The film explores what it’s like to be a woman in power tasked with many responsibilities on her shoulders during a time that certainly doesn’t appreciate all of her hard work. In addition to this, it’s clear from the start that the central character has to sacrifice her dreams in favor of the greater good. At the end of the day, this is a story about emancipation but don’t worry, there is still enough fantastical action on display to ensure that Netflix has a potential franchise on its hands that Millie Bobby Brown is more than ready to lead.

The story follows Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown), a young woman from a poor kingdom that is in the grip of famine as she identifies an opportunity that could change her life and the lives of her people should she accept it. A marriage proposal from a wealthy prince (Nick Robinson) falls at her feet but what at first seems like salvation, is revealed to be laced with trickery as it is discovered that she’s being used in this union to repay a royal family’s ancient debts. To repay that debt, Elodie must be sacrificed, and now, while trapped in a cave with a more than relentless dragon (voiced with menace by Shohreh Aghdashloo), she must rely on all of her tenacity and intelligence to survive.

Damsel is an anti-Cinderella story and while that is nothing new, it’s still refreshing that this angle is continuing to be explored in an age that sees the typical Cinderella story becoming a thing of the past with each passing year. That story implies that a woman can only find her power through marriage and needs to be saved by the Prince as her only task is to look pretty and put on the right shoe. This story not only rejects this notion but also labels it as a trap, which Elodie finds herself in when she decides to accept the proposal. Happily Ever After is used as a weapon here and Elodie has to fight against the conventional ideas behind it.

The film works best as a fun cat-and-mouse story with the screenplay setting up all the rules fairly quickly so that the audience knows how big the stakes are. The mouse in this scenario is Elodie while the cat is the monster that she is trapped with in the cave. Her fight for survival is suitable for the target audience, never too frightening but always effective and entertaining. Viewers will be hard-pressed not to root for her while also hoping that she makes it out of all of this alive. The movie honestly could’ve worked well mostly showcasing Elodie’s tale of survival but the film does throw in outside forces that aren’t entirely necessary to elevate tension. In fact, they feel included to execute story beats to extend the runtime but when the focus is primarily on Elodie and her fight with the dragon, Damsel shines.

Millie Bobby Brown proves to be a strong leading lady, indicating that she will be just fine when Stranger Things finally comes to an end. For much of the runtime, Brown is alone and acting against nothing, a CGI creation that will be brought convincingly to life in post-production. Brown clearly doesn’t see any of this as a limitation because throughout the film she has no problem showcasing all of Elodie’s emotions. From anger, fear, sadness, and ultimately, determination, Brown gets to show her range and doesn’t disappoint. The actress even survives when the screenplay has her mutter a lot of expository dialogue to move the story along. In lesser hands, this would grind the film to a halt but Brown proves to be a pro even at that. At the end of the day, it’s her vitality and charisma that proves to be the film’s greatest asset.

This is Brown’s film from start to finish but a series of acting veterans do show up to give the film a bit more credibility. Robin Wright is suitably nasty as the wicked queen who makes it feel like scheming is just a part of her DNA while Angela Bassett and Ray Winstone, although given less meaty roles, are still a joy to watch. Bassett in particular showcases a sense of warmth as Elodie’s stepmother, loving her as if she was one of her own.

The special effects are also surprisingly strong, particularly the CGI-generated dragon that blends in well with the underground lair and the practical sets. The world of Damsel truly comes alive and it’s likely because, reportedly, the film was primarily filmed in London’s Troubadour Merdian Water Studios with very few green screens. The fact that much of the film feels practical goes a long way to elevating her ordeal and creating a sense of real stakes and escalating tension.

Memories of 1998’s Ever After came to mind while viewing Damsel. Starring Drew Barrymore, that film also told a sort of revisionist Cinderella story that turned the trope on its head. What’s rewarding in comparing the two films is that the anti-Cinderella story has evolved to feature a female character that is even stronger than the one written for the 1998 film. How Elodie takes action involves her wit and her strength, crafting a female protagonist that the target audience is sure to root for and want to emulate.

Damsel is now streaming on Netflix.