Damsel (2024)

Damsel (2024)

 

5/10

Starring

Millie Bobby Brown

Ray Winstone

Nick Robinson

Shohreh Aghdashloo

Angela Bassett

Robin Wright

 

Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo

 

Damsel is not one of the most impressive fantasy films I've seen. While the story lacks depth and sufficient plot development to fully immerse viewers in its premise, it partially redeems itself through the tense play-hunt scenes between the dragon and Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown). Unfortunately, the pacing is uneven, and much of the film drags, making its short runtime feel longer.

Millie Bobby Brown is the standout element, her compelling performance and dedication to the character bringing much-needed life to the movie. Her portrayal of Elodie makes the film bearable, showcasing her strength as a leading actress.

The special effects are average, and while the film picks up once Elodie enters the dragon’s lair, it struggles to maintain momentum. The film’s plot is spread over the length of the film (to create a surprise feel), but I will give you a brief of what the Queen of the land where the dragon tortures shared.

The dragon she said has been terrorizing their village and killing its people, so the king went to the dragon’s lair to confront it with his men. The dragon killed them all as you would guess, but spared the king and made a deal with it, which is to revenge the attack on her lair by killing all the king’s daughters, from one generation to another.

So, if you have seen the trailer of this film, you already know how Elodie found herself in the dragon’s lair. If you have not seen the trailer, I will not share it here in case you want to be surprised on how she got there.

Once she was in the liar, she was in the dragon’s game of play hunt. The dragon has been doing this for generations to all the girls who are dropped in her lair. She chases them and allows them to think they can escape, then when she is tired of the taunt it catches them and burns them alive.

Elodie was lucky, when she was to be burnt, someone caused a distraction, something which has never happened since the dragon has been on this hunt of all the girls dropped in the lair. Elodie was able to get ahead of the dragon, which is the first time something like this has ever happened to the dragon.

Damsel ultimately falls short of being memorable. It’s an okay film for a casual watch but difficult to recommend wholeheartedly.