Millie Bobbie Brown is making a name for herself as a Gen Z action hero for the streaming world and Damsel is her latest addition. It's a fun little adventure story, even if it is a little feminist 101 (there's nothing wrong with that) filled with edge of your seat adventure and a pretty awesomely designed dragon (voiced wonderfully by Aghdashloo). It might be a bit light but it's also fun with a great cast.
Princesses are often used as a literary device for how the feminine is seen in society so this story of one being sacrificed for the well being of the kingdom is a nice little allegory for how women's agency is sacrificed. It makes sense in a metaphorical way as well as telling a simple yet satisfying story. Here we get a hero who "slays the dragon" by different means than we're used to.
I also appreciated the way the film subverts the evil-step mother trope. If you're going to use a princess story to invert classic princess cliches then it makes sense to do that too. And casting Bassett in this role is perfect. Also Wright, cast as a villain instead of the princess herself is ideal.
Director Fresnadillo's horror roots inspire him here to direct a visually impressive film, which is a bit more brutal than I anticipated (perhaps not for the youngest of viewers). There may not be many surprises in this telling but what it does it does well. And it's ending is satisfying in the way a good fairy tale should be.
Damsel
Starring: Millie Bobbie Brown, Robin Wright, Angela Bassett, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Brooke Carter, Shohreh Aghdashloo
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Writer: Dan Mazeau
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