Damsel: A Bland Fairy Tale That Never Takes Flight

Netflix’s Damsel had the potential to offer a thrilling feminist twist on the classic fairy tale formula but instead delivers a flat, uninspired experience. Millie Bobby Brown gives it her best shot as Elodie, a young princess who defies expectations, but the writing leaves her — and the rest of the talented cast — stranded.

Angela Bassett, Ray Winstone, and Robin Wright all turn in phoned-in performances, clearly not given much to work with. Apart from Shohreh Aghdashloo’s distinctive voice lending gravitas to the dragon, there’s little in Damsel to truly recommend.

The visuals are impressive, with sweeping fantasy landscapes and a few atmospheric sequences, but the story is generic, the characters paper-thin, and the pacing sluggish. Despite its surface-level promises of empowerment, Damsel ultimately plays it safe, offering nothing memorable in terms of character development, action, or storytelling.

It’s a forgettable entry into Netflix’s growing pile of mediocrity — fine for background noise, but hardly the bold, inspiring adventure it could have been.