The Princess Doesn’t Need Saving—She Needs Revenge
If you went into Damsel expecting a classic fairy tale with a sparkly dress and a handsome prince—you’re about to get burned.
Literally.
This dark fantasy flips the damsel-in-distress trope on its head and throws Millie Bobby Brown into a dragon’s den with no sword, no allies, and no way out.
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), Damsel is a gritty, dragon-fueled survival thriller wrapped in medieval trappings—and it wastes no time getting vicious.
Millie Bobby Brown Goes Full Survivalist
Brown plays Elodie, a noblewoman arranged to marry a mysterious prince from a distant kingdom. But the royal wedding is a trap. As part of a long-standing “peace ritual,” the royal family sacrifices women to a deadly dragon to keep their kingdom safe.
Elodie is thrown into the cavern—alone, unarmed, and expected to die.
What follows is not a quest for love—it’s a fight for survival. Brown ditches the polished costumes and becomes a mud-soaked warrior, using grit, instinct, and desperation to outsmart a monster that has killed every woman before her.
This is the most physically intense role of Brown’s career—and she owns it. Gone are the Stranger Things power stares. Here, she bleeds, breaks, and claws her way through fire and stone.
The Dragon Is No CGI Throwaway
In an era of generic fantasy creatures, Damsel delivers a dragon that feels real—terrifyingly so.
Rendered with a perfect balance of practical effects and CGI, the dragon isn’t just a beast—it’s a character. Intelligent, territorial, and ancient. There’s no charming it. No training it. This isn’t How to Train Your Dragon—this is You Better Run.
Its lair is a vertical labyrinth of volcanic rock, shifting platforms, and scorching pits. The geography of the cave becomes a character in itself, forcing Elodie into strategic and brutal encounters.
A Brutal Deconstruction of Fairy Tale Myths
What makes Damsel fascinating isn’t just the danger—it’s what the story represents.
The film deconstructs fantasy myths rooted in patriarchy: arranged marriages, noble sacrifices, royal promises. The kingdom uses tradition as justification for murder. The queen (played chillingly by Robin Wright) is complicit, enforcing the sacrifice as sacred duty.
Elodie doesn’t just fight a monster—she fights a system. And she doesn’t beg for rescue. She becomes the dragon.
Stunning Visuals, Bleak Tone
Visually, the film is impressive. The opening kingdom sequences are lush and ethereal, but once Elodie is tossed underground, the palette shifts to shadows, flames, and blood-soaked stone.
The contrast emphasizes the duality of the world: surface beauty, subterranean horror.
The tone remains serious throughout. There are few jokes. No wink-wink humor. This is not a fairy tale for kids. It’s Hunger Games by way of The Descent.
Final Thoughts
Damsel isn’t perfect—some pacing lulls, and the world-building could go deeper—but its intent is clear: take a worn-out fantasy cliché and burn it to the ground.
It’s a violent, cathartic tale of survival and self-determination, led by a rising star who proves she’s more than Eleven.
Millie Bobby Brown doesn’t play the princess. She becomes the dragon-slayer.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
A fierce, flame-soaked subversion of fantasy tropes that proves some princesses don’t need saving—they need vengeance.