Millie Bobby Brown and a Dragon Pull Off Fantasy Two-Hander Damsel

Shohreh Aghdashloo voicing a dragon? Where has this casting brilliance been all my life? Granted, the opportunity doesn’t come around that often except for the ultra-narrow subgenre of live-action dragon cinema (think Dragonslayer, Reign of Fire, etc.), but Netflix’s Damsel lands in that niche and earns all the huzzahs for gifting us with a rare female dragon characterization that possesses the actress’ smoky tones. Supporting her on the human side is the always great Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) who brings equal passion in portraying characters who are meant to reframe their traditional storybook roles. Together, they plant their flag in this genre with an eye towards making an exciting action-adventure tale that rewards justice and compassion instead of vengeance. And they mostly hit their mark in this clever revisionist fairy tale.

Written by Dan Mazeau (Fast X) and directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (28 Weeks Later), Damsel may feature a mostly male creative team, but it’s female-forward with its point of view, intent on subverting the “damsel in distress” cliché. In order to eventually deconstruct the familiar, the first act leans hard on recognizable storybook structure: Elodie (Brown) is of marrying age, yet that’s furthest from her mind as she toils to help her older father, Lord Bayford (Ray Winstone), and new step-mother, Lady Bayford (Angela Bassett), help their people through drought. So, when a proposal from the distant kingdom of Aurea arrives seeking to wed one of their daughters to Prince Henry (Nick Robinson), the Lord pounces on it. He’s more than happy to comply with the overriding fiscal benefits of such a union. 

A dutiful daughter, but no pushover, Elodie initially balks. But it’s made clear that the marriage would not only help their people, it would secure the safety of her beloved younger sister Floria (Brooke Carter). So, the core four pack up for Aurea, which proves to be flush with wealth and fertile fields. The family is equally bewitched by all the good fortune. Too bad they don’t get the less-than-subtle hint of something darker lurking in the menacing, life-sized dragon sculptures at their border.

In one of the script’s many trope inversions, it’s the step-mom who first catches on that the overly effusive yet emotionally distant Queen Isabelle (Robin Wright) may not be as altruistic as she seems. It’s not enough to sway her husband, or to deter a resolved Elodie to make the best of it and marry Henry. Much regret ensues when, post-ceremony, the new princess is taken to the forbidding mountain in the distance for a generational ceremony to “celebrate” the union. Translation: She’s thrown into a crevasse to keep the centuries-long peace with the dragon inside. 

And so Elodie’s misery begins. Bloodied, bruised and utterly livid at the betrayal, she uses her smarts and ingenuity to survive the massive dragon intent on making her Elodie flambé. Akin to Die Hard’s John McClane, Elodie gets absolutely pummeled trying to elude her pursuer through the dark tunnels of the mountain. While John was chatty between beatings, Elodie instead pursues silence, which uniquely amplifies the cat-and-mouse tension. Long stretches with minimal dialogue means Brown gets to do what she does best, expressing so much with just face and body as she moves Elodie through a visceral gauntlet of emotions. 

Each mistaken turn taken by Elodie becomes an opportunity for both character and audience as the fantasy world-building blooms from her every step. All of the interior mountain sets and spaces are beautifully realized concepts brought to life by Fresnadillo, cinematographer Larry Fong (Kong: Skull Island) and production designer Patrick Tatopoulos (Underworld). The caves reveal little marvels to Elodie that provide opportunities to amplify her compassion and character, despite the dire circumstances. How she treats the cerulean glow worms that heal her, or masters the sharp crystal cave, or processes the horrible majesty of a murmur of flaming birds piteously caught in the dragon’s deadly breath—it all exposes the impressive, curious heroine emerging from the layers of her tattered wedding dress. 

One of the most satisfying aspects of Damsel’s script is its success in crafting a unique dragon, expressed in both its design and character arc. Tatopoulos, also the creature designer, fashions an imaginative take so strong that she deserves to perch near the greats like Vermithrax Pejorative in Dragonslayer or Viserion from Game of Thrones. Gryphon-like in appearance yet feline in movement, she is as slinky and agile as Aghdashloo’s voice. Every interaction with Elodie reveals more about the mechanics of her biology, which adds the excitement of discovery to every appearance.

Storywise, in trying to escape the creature’s death sentence, Elodie discovers the underlying reason for the dragon’s boundless need for vengeance. Damsel binds their stories together with far more resonance and poignancy than expected. Better yet, while the two may initially use violence against each other, it’s ultimately their inherent compassion that allows them to forge a powerful path forward. In a genre that loves to be sword-forward in all things, it’s especially refreshing to have Damsel embrace feminine empowerment without an overreliance on testosterone-laden problem solving.     

If Damsel falters much, it’s when it wanders outside of Elodie or the dragon. Outside of Floria, the rest of the characters suffer from a lack of substantial development. In particular, Bassett’s character doesn’t give the actress much to do in what is essentially a glorified cameo. And Wright is saddled with a one-note part that isn’t interested in providing any nuanced context for her deeds. The male characters are pretty much support columns for the plot, but that’s not really a problem in a movie about women trying to overcome the legacy of their bad deeds.

As a fantasy, Damsel convincingly transports us into the lair of a dragon that is often stunning and always intriguing. Aghdashloo and Brown create memorable rivals that evolve into something so unexpected that it leaves you pondering what could come next. And even if this is the end of Elodie’s adventures, Brown has given young girls a next-gen fairy tale heroine capable of saving not only herself, but her worst enemy too.

Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Writer: Dan Mazeau
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Angela Bassett, Robin Wright
Release Date: March 8, 2024 (Netflix)

Tara Bennett is a Los Angeles-based writer covering film, television and pop culture for publications such as SFX Magazine, NBC Insider, SYFY Wire and more. She’s also written official books on Sons of Anarchy, Outlander, Fringe, The Story of Marvel Studios, Avatar: The Way of Water and the upcoming The Art of Ryan Meinerding. You can follow her on Twitter @TaraDBennett or Instagram @TaraDBen