Beware the power no man can claim,
The force that puts all others to shame,
The breath of death and fire of fear
To make hearts quake when it is near,
The might igniting years restrained,
No longer collared or contained,
The thing men fear at every age,
The power of…
A woman’s rage!
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MPA rating:  PG-13

Millie Bobby Brown hasn’t aimed especially high since her breakout role in Stranger Things, but her Netflix films are still solidly entertaining, from the playful mysteries of Enola Holmes to the flawed but overly hated The Electric State. Damsel might be her best leading role yet, letting her square off against high fantasy dangers and hold her own.

The daughter of the less-than-wealthy Lord Bayford (Ray Winstone), Elodie (Brown) is summoned to the lavish kingdom of Aurea, where she is to be wed to its Prince Henry (Nick Robinson) at the invite of the reigning Queen Isabelle (Robin Wright). While she wonders at the somewhat strange circumstances, she warms to Henry and accepts for the sake of her and her own kingdom’s future, only to be blindsided by a malign tradition that puts her at the mercy of a bloodthirsty dragon (voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo).

The modernist intention behind Damsel is rather obvious, seeking to subvert the happily-ever-after of fairy tales by betraying the title damsel and turning her into an action hero bent on both survival and revenge. While one could easily just roll their eyes at some of the fantasy Die Hard-like feats Brown pulls off, her conflict with both the dragon and the royals keeps the story engaging. I liked how the film wasn’t pure black-and-white with its characterization, where the actions of the dragon, the evil queen, the reluctant prince, Elodie’s guilt-stricken father, and her surprisingly not evil stepmother (Angela Bassett) feel justifiable to themselves based on what they know.

I also have to give credit to the production design and cinematography that make the fantasy world quite beautiful at times, as well as the excellent effects work on the dragon. Brown herself carries the film handily, and, even if the plot becomes predictable after its central twist, Damsel is one of the better Netflix originals I’ve seen.

© 2026 S.G. Liput
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