Damsel review: "Millie Bobby Brown puts fire in this survival fantasy's belly"

GamesRadar+ VerdictBrown and the beast strike sparks as Fresnadillo’s initially lukewarm adventure gradually heats up. GamesRadar+ Verdict GamesRadar+ Verdict Brown and the beast strike sparks as Fresnadillo’s initially lukewarm adventure gradually heats up. Brown and the beast strike sparks as Fresnadillo’s initially lukewarm adventure gradually heats up. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Brown plays Elodie, a poor villager whose father (Ray Winstone) and stepmother (Angela Bassett) sell her into royal matrimony for gold. So far, so fairy tale. Yet what fire doth flicker on yonder hilltop? Before she can say “I don’t”, Elodie is lobbed into the mountain catacombs as a sacrifice to a savage dragon – but she won’t burn easily. The slow-burn pacing is more ‘drag’ than dragon initially, as Elodie – kid sis in tow - meets Robin Wright’s wicked queen and Nick Robinson’s charmless prince. The cave settings add a tangible sense of claustrophobia, though Fresnadillo keeps his monster in the shadows a little too long as the murky action simmers. The dragon harbours a solid backstory too, while Fresnadillo’s flame-roasted mix of lunging jump scares and kills with Elodie’s Ripley-esque survival and protective instincts help beef up an undercooked script. And as Elodie progresses from terrified to resourceful to righteously raging, it’s Brown who puts the most fire in Damsel’s belly. Damsel is streaming on Netflix now. 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