“Damsel,” a 2024 dark fantasy film helmed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and penned by Dan Mazeau, features Millie Bobby Brown as Elodie. She portrays a young woman who, after accepting a marriage proposal, discovers she’s a pawn in repaying ancient debts to a royal family. Now, she must flee while evading attacks from a lurking dragon in the chasm. The film, also starring Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Angela Bassett, and Robin Wright, debuted on Netflix on March 8, 2024, receiving mixed reviews.
CHARACTERS
- Millie Bobby Brown portrays Elodie, a young woman hailing from an unnamed northern land.
- Ray Winstone takes on the role of Lord Bayford, Elodie’s father and the lord of their unnamed northern land.
- Angela Bassett appears as Lady Bayford, Elodie’s stepmother and the wife of Lord Bayford.
- Brooke Carter plays Floria, Elodie’s younger sister.
- Nick Robinson stars as Prince Henry, the prince of Aurea.
- Robin Wright portrays Queen Isabelle, the queen regnant of Aurea and Prince Henry’s mother.
- Milo Twomey appears as King Roderick, the king consort of Aurea and Prince Henry’s father.
- Nicole Joseph is seen as Princess Victoria, one of the previous princesses sacrificed to the dragon.
- Shohreh Aghdashloo lends her voice to the Dragon, an unnamed dragon that demands sacrifices of Aurea’s princesses.
STORYLINE
Long ago, the first king of Aurea launches a futile attack on a dragon dwelling in his realm, resulting in the loss of all his men and leaving him at the mercy of the Dragon. In present times, Elodie, the teenage daughter of Lord Bayford, reluctantly agrees to marry Prince Henry of Aurea to help alleviate their people’s poverty. However, suspicion arises regarding Queen Isabelle’s intentions, prompting Elodie’s stepmother to warn her against the engagement.
Following their wedding, Elodie and Henry partake in an ancient ritual where they are misled into believing they are celebrating their union. Elodie is betrayed and thrown into the Dragon’s lair as a sacrifice, but she survives and discovers a cave filled with luminous silk worms, aiding her escape. After evading the Dragon and encountering a rescue party led by her father, Elodie realizes the truth behind the sacrifices and returns to save her sister, Floria, from being taken by the Dragon as a replacement sacrifice.
Elodie confronts the Dragon, revealing the deception of the Aurean royals, and ultimately convinces the Dragon of the truth. Together, they expose the treachery of the Aurean royal family and embark on a journey home, accompanied by Elodie’s family and the Dragon.
