In an industry perpetually drawn to the alluring glow of fairytales reconceived, Netflix’s “Damsel” promised an intriguing foray into a reimagined realm of dark fantasy helmed by Millie Bobby Brown, whose ascendant star hangs bright following successes with “Stranger Things” and “Enola Holmes.” Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and scripted by Dan Mazeau, the film intones the subversion of genre archetypes. Yet, for all its grand intentions, “Damsel” delivers an experience more fabled than revolutionary, more puff than fiery breath.
Brown, known for her powerful portrayals, takes the lead as Elodie, a character etched from the archetype of embattled nobility. Swirling in the specter of betrothal, Elodie unveils a nefarious plot by her fiancé’s royal household to settle an ancient, shadow-laden debt. Her unveiling of the unwelcome truth sees her plunged not into the embrace of marriage but the maw of a subterranean dragon’s lair, an abode that reduces the narrative to a survivalist’s game, replete with a beast more tiresome than terrifying and CGI that inspires more yawns than awe.
The dragon of “Damsel” stakes its claim with a unique quadrupedal aesthetic and an arresting, if not canonically inspired, noxious breath weapon. Yet the creature’s repetitive taunting rapidly loses its charm, leaving viewers with the embittered echo, “This story always ends the same.”
Visually, the movie garners some merit: its landscapes reach for Tolkien-like expansiveness, and the imaginative costume design initially captures the eye. These merits, however, lose their lustre as soon as Elodie is ensnared in the dragon’s den. There, the film’s aspirations seem clipped, sending it spiraling into a contrived array of creature-feature clichés. The lair becomes a sequence of claustrophobic enclosures akin more to an amusement park attraction than the imposing terror it aspired to be.
The auditory landscape, shaped by the formidable Hans Zimmer, starts with promise, underscoring the dark thematic elements with gravity and grace. Regrettably, this bombastic score becomes an overbearing presence as the tale unfolds. Delivered at inopportune moments, it drowns pivotal scenes in a cacophony that fails to harmonize with onscreen events, reinforcing the film’s strained tonal composition.
As our protagonist’s journey trails on, so does the narrative’s reliance on worn-out tropes and curious choices in the protagonist’s attire that hark back to the infamous “Chainmail Bikini” debate. Elodie’s garb gradually shifts from warrior to wayward damsel, the armor seemingly supplanted by fashion more suited to a bustier. Such choices fly in the face of the film’s attempt at genre defiance, paradoxically reinforcing the stereotypes it proposed to dismantle.
The culmination of the titular damsel’s journey predictably sees her trounce the dragon. In an unexpected twist of compassion, she spares the creature, thereby securing its fealty (bioluminescent slugs included). Yet, even this turn of fate fails to salvage the overall narrative.
Unraveling across this tapestry of mediocrity are flashes of Brown’s commitment to her character’s depth and defiance, a performance valiant in intent but dulled by the dull shimmer of the film’s execution. The star-studded cast featuring the likes of Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Angela Bassett, and Robin Wright, bring little in the way of narrative gravity, unable to uplift the story beyond its superficial constraints.
Intended to weave dark fantasy with resonant themes of empowerment, “Damsel” mislays the thread of its own narrative ambition. While the film may draw some viewers—particularly genre enthusiasts and those indulging in escapist fare—those with a keener critical eye will find “Damsel” a tale that soars no higher than a wingless beast.
In closing, the film resonates less as a victorious anthem for empowerment and borrows more than it should from the instructive echoes of “How to Train Your Dragon” on International Women’s Day—a day demanding far more than “Damsel” can offer. Currently available on Netflix, “Damsel” joins the pantheon of cinematic ventures that, despite the promise of their premise and the luminosity of their casts, fail to ignite the imagination or shatter the chains they purport to challenge.
