“We are essentially inverting the fairy tale,” declares the film’s director, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.
Millie Bobby Brown’s professional trajectory has been marked by confrontations with monsters and murders, from solving mysteries in Enola Holmes to navigating the Inversion in Stranger Things. However, in her most recent film, Damsel (available on Netflix on March 8), she gives an unorthodox take on a traditional genre: it tells the story of a princess who is on the brink of extinction when her alleged prince charming attempts to sacrifice her to a dragon.
Written by Dan Mazeau and directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Damsel embodies a number of your signature elements as a classic fantasy film. Elodie, a dutiful maiden portrayed by Brown, is chosen to wed a handsome monarch. Elodie, however, is not granted a happily-ever-after after her wedding: in an effort to placate the realm’s resident dragon, the royal family tosses her into a cave, thus adding her to a long line of women who have been sacrificed. Elodie’s struggle to gain independence transforms the narrative into a gruesome action drama and fantasy epic.
Fresnadillo informs EW, “This princess is forced to handle an extremely difficult situation without any assistance.” “When one considers the cinematic history of these types of tales, it is evident that the princess is invariably assisted by the prince, father, or king.” Dan adapted the narrative into a significantly more modern concept of a woman surviving independently.
Brown, who is 19 years old, has appeared alongside numerous reptiles on film, including the eponymous serpent from Godzilla: King of the Monsters. However, according to Fresnadillo, Damsel demonstrates the actress’s action prowess to the fullest by following her as she scales cliffs, employs swords, and confronts a ravenous dragon.
Fresnadillo further states, “I believe this character signifies a progression in the roles she has previously played in her career.” “She takes a significant stride forward in this film by embracing a very strong, independent woman. Not initially, because this is the story of a young lady who is extremely obedient to her father and is propelled by the destiny that her family and kingdom have predetermined for her. Yet, she must mature. She must develop strength and autonomy. “Millie personifies that in the most remarkable way possible.”
