REVIEW: Netflix’s ‘Damsel’ Needs No Saving
She’s a damsel, she’s in distress, and she doesn’t need anyone to save her is the theme of Netflix’s new movie, Damsel. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, the movie focuses on Princess Elodie (Brown), a young woman attempting to keep her barren kingdom from dying out. In an attempt to save her kingdom, Elodie agrees to marry the handsome Prince Henry (Nick Robinson), but all is not as it seems when it comes to her new husband and her in-laws. See they carry a dark secret with them. One that will find Elodie sacrificed to a dragon and no Prince Charming to save her. Now, Elodie must rely on her own wits if she is going to outsmart the dragon and find a way out of the cave she’s been trapped in.
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, the first thing to notice about this movie is how stunning the sets are. The set design team, and location scouts, went out of their way to find places that made quite an impact. Each scene, besides the cave scenes, was filled with an abundance of color and visual pleasure. It was as if they used this as another character. A character who filled you with a false sense of security, which was ultimately ripped away when Elodie is sacrificed to the dragon. Here was done mostly with a green screen and it showed. The effects in the cave scenes didn’t hurt the movie, but it didn’t help it either. The other thing to note was the story moved. Brown’s Elodie spends about 60% of the movie by herself and in most movies, this would have had a significant impact on the story. However, that is not the case with Damsel. Screenwriter Dan Mazeau kept the story engaging, while Fresnadillo filled the non-dialogue scenes with necessary stunts and actions scenes.
Brown plays our lead and carries the weight of this movie with ease. With this movie, she continues to prove why she is one of the best young actresses in the industry today. There were some parts where I wished she had shown a little bit more range, but overall, she does a fantastic job. Especially, when you think about how much acting she had to do imagining her scene partner was there with her. It is not an easy task to ask any actor, but Brown gives it her all. Robinson plays Prince Henry and I wish we got to see his character a little bit more. He and Brown are wonderful alongside each other, so it is a shame we didn’t get more. Angela Bassett, Robin Wright, and Brooke Carter round out the cast as Elodie’s Stepmother, Lady Bayford (Basset), Queen Isabelle (Wright), and Elodie’s sister, Floria (Carter). Carter gets a little more to work with in this movie as Floria’s relationship with Elodie plays a key part, but all three ladies were a treat to watch on screen. Like Robinson, I wish I got to see more from Bassett and Wright because they are so fun to watch on screen.
If you are looking for a fun movie to watch this weekend, I suggest giving this a try. The movie has some great action scenes and a pretty engaging story. You won’t be disapointed.
Grade: B+