Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A young woman's marriage to a charming prince turns into a fierce fight for survival when she's offered up as a sacrifice to a fire-breathing dragon.
Damsel offers a competent subversion of the classic princess-rescue fairytale, flipping the damsel-in-distress trope to put Millie Bobby Brown's character in an active survival role. However, the plot follows a fairly predictable arc once the central twist is revealed, with the narrative becoming formulaic in its second and third acts. Brown's performance carries the film but the supporting cast is underutilized. The cave cinematography has some atmospheric moments but overall visual execution is functional rather than inspired. The premise of the resourceful princess fighting a dragon has been done in various forms, and this execution doesn't add enough distinctive voice or craft to stand out significantly. The ending resolves too neatly and lacks dramatic punch, feeling rushed given the buildup.