Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
It’s a bit of a bummer that both the trailer and even the Netflix synopsis “Damsel” on the streaming page, give away the story of the 2024 fantasy film. So you know what’s likely to happen next and you’ll figure out most of its little twists. However, its stunning cinematography, which conjures up a magical “once upon a time” land with grand palaces, kings, and pretty princesses, keeps the film engaging.
Created by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Director) and Dan Mazeau (Writer), “Damsel” stars “Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown as Elodie, a princess from an impoverished, starving Kingdom, who is sought out as a bride for the Prince Henry (Nick Robinson) from the wealthy island kingdom Aurea. Under the guise of grand nuptials, lies a sinister plot to sacrifice the new bride for an ancient ritual in an inescapable cave. An unsuspecting Elodie must fight for her life and not become another innocent sacrificial lamb for the royal family.
One one hand you have happy, saccharine fantasy fairy tales like “Cinderella”, on the other there are dark twisted fantasies like “Game of Thrones”, and “Damsel” falls somewhere in between. It starts off as a dreamy royal story – poor princess Elodie goes to the grand golden palace in Aurea, meets a handsome prince and she is seemingly set for a happy ending. So, the first 30 minutes of the film are rich in colors, settings, and both the costume team and the special effects team do a fantastic job with world-building. From the lush green fields of Aurea to the gilded halls and grand gowns found in its palace, “Damsel” is visually very pleasing. Once the darker part of the tale starts, where Aurea is betrayed and left to fend for herself against a powerful monster, things are interesting for a bit, and then the pace slows down.
Millie Bobby Brown is charming, feisty, daring and all things likable as the down-to-earth Princess Elodie, who displays exceptional courage, and will in the face of a formidable opponent. But a lot of what Elodie experience in the cave where she is trapped felt far-fetched and just a tad bit underwhelming. Except for a young woman fighting a dragon, there isn’t much novelty to the story, with familiar themes of greed, royal corruption, betrayal, and bravery touched upon ever so fleetingly. But hey, it’s fun to see a princess be her own knight in shining armor.
Overall, “Damsel” is well-paced, with deftly executed special effects, although it falters in a crucial climactic scene. I was definitely hoping for Elodie to get a more kick-ass ending. Regardless, this is a pretty fun film to watch with friends, family, or alone on the weekend, especially if you’re a fantasy fan and don’t take things too seriously.
Stream “Damsel” on Netflix.
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