A virtuous damsel consents to wed a charming prince, only to discover later that the royal family has enlisted her as a sacrifice to settle a long-standing debt. Her only means of survival are her cunning and willpower after being thrust into a cave with a fire-breathing monster.
CAST :
Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Producer Dan Mazeau, Mark Bomback, Millie Bobby Brown, Robert Brown, Sue Baden-Powell, Zack Roth
Screenwriter Dan Mazeau
Distributor Netflix
Production CoPCMA Productions, PCMA Management and Productions, Roth/Kirschenbaum Films
Rating PG-13 (Action|Strong Creature Violence|Bloody Images)
Genre Fantasy, Adventure, Action
Original Language English
Release Date (Theaters)Mar 8, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)Mar 8, 2024
Runtime 1h 47m
Sound MixDolby Atmos
The new Netflix film damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things, is a part of a relatively young wave of feminist movies that aim to break down the preconceptions attached to fantasy movies like these. Its provocative assertions—that this is not a tale of a white knight saving a damsel in distress—are immediately apparent. However, it contains all the other classic components: a villainous queen, a gullible younger sister, parents who are not entirely doubtful, and a prince who is controlled by his mother. (Oh, and there’s a talking dragon as well.)
We’ll address that later.) However, this 101-minute completely self-serious story has very little to say and much less to demonstrate. Damsel is not funny at all. I was expecting for the movie to really get going, to show me what it had promised and to amaze me with its action, but that never happened.
hirty-five minutes in, that is first indicated. Damsel implies that it’s ready to plunge you right into the action after developing the lore and going over the essential details of the plot. As in, go on to the monster parts. Oh, and did I mention that the dragon has Shohreh Aghdashloo’s gravelly voice? I’m sold—Aghdashloo ought to now speak for all dragons.
Unfortunately, though, the Netflix movie is a touch erratic. It turns out that the backstory isn’t truly finished. In the end, it’s more of an exploration/survival thing. While that may seem reasonable, in practice it means Damsel loses the momentum it creates for itself. Like, several times. That being said, I don’t think either Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, the director of 28 Weeks Later,
It doesn’t help that a bulk of Damsel is set inside a cave—those scenes were, no doubt, shot primarily on a sound stage. (It was also filmed partly in Portugal, but I imagine that was for the exterior scenes.) As a result, most of it looks drab. On top of that, there’s very little actual action in the new Netflix movie—Brown is mostly running from Aghdashloo’s dragon.It doesn’t help that a bulk of Damsel is set inside a cave—those scenes were, no doubt, shot primarily on a sound stage. (It was also filmed partly in Portugal, but I imagine that was for the exterior scenes.) As a result, most of it looks drab. On top of that, there’s very little actual action in the new Netflix movie—Brown is mostly running from Aghdashloo’s dragon. I was always left with the impression that the set pieces made the dragon appear foolish, even when it did open up. The longer the film runs, the worse Damsel gets; at one point, it almost seems to be running around in circles. Additionally, as it closes up, it gives in to pretentious speech (Dan Mazeau, Fast X) and blatantly obvious efforts at symbolism.
FINAL CONCLUSION:
t doesn’t help that a bulk of Damsel is set inside a cave—those scenes were, no doubt, shot primarily on a sound stage. (It was also filmed partly in Portugal, but I imagine that was for the exterior scenes.) As a result, most of it looks drab. On top of that, there’s very little actual action in the new Netflix movie—Brown is mostly running from Aghdashloo’s dragon. The plot of the film, which revolves around Princess Elodie, a courageous and strong young lady, and her unexpected adventure, goes beyond the cliché of the damsel in distress. Rather, it presents a novel and empowering story that is immediately captivating. The central relationship in this story, that between her and the dragon, is depicted with a depth and complexity that defies stereotypes and encourages viewers to consider themes of courage, devotion, and friendship in unexpected ways.