_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

Millie Bobby Brown stars as Elodie in Damsel on Netflix. It is a Fantasy survival film about the eldest daughter of an impoverished land receiving a proposal from a handsome prince from another kingdom. The one thing that Bobby Brown wants audiences to know because of the VoiceOver at the beginning of the film is that women don’t need saving. Young Elodie is so taken by the riches and the extravagance of living in a castle that she does not look past the surface of the royal family she is marrying. 

Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo turned this Fantasy film into a survival film within twenty minutes of the film and never looked back. The audience stays with Bobby Brown while she attempts to claw her way out of the depths of the cave she is stuck in. All while dodging a bloodthirsty dragon because of a prophecy the Royal family has stood by for centuries. It became a plot of convenience to help Elodie break out of the cave for the entirety of the film, with no character development for her. There’s no emotional connection to her or her family because there wasn’t enough time to build that. 

Unfortunately, Damsel had the potential to be a great vehicle for Bobby Brown to star as the female lead in an action-adventure, but it fell short. The ending even felt prolonged to have an empowering moment that wasn’t earned. It was difficult to see what was happening at times because it was so dark, and the VFX wasn’t as polished as it should have been for a Fantasy film. It’s hard to feel connected to the characters when the world around them isn’t developed to feel lived in and believable. Fresnadillo and writer Dan Mazeau went straight into survival mode and forgot about the rest of the characters in the film so Bobby Brown could carry it.