Netflix has released the full-length trailer for Damsel, an upcoming dark fantasy film starring Millie Bobby Brown, the breakout actress previously seen in their Stranger Things and Enola Holmes.
The first look at the trailer portrays Brown battling a fire-breathing dragon, an attempt to show a new side to herself that fans of Stranger Things might not be used to.
Damsel: What the trailer is about
Netflix’s new fantasy film is a story of courage, strength and monsters where Millie Bobby Brown plays the role of Elodie, a betrayed young girl, who is determined to seek revenge from the kingdom that tried to sacrifice her life on the pretext of marriage.
The trailer follows a fantasy world where a princess is set to marry the prince of a rival kingdom. However, the wedding turns out to be just a scam that covers a sinister tradition. Elodie is lured in by the royal family to pay off an ancient debt, where she gets thrown into a cave to be devoured by a dragon. She soon finds out that she is not the first princess to fall for the trick, as she promises to survive for all the lost souls.
Faced with deception, it is at this juncture that she decides to take her fate into her own hands, realizing no rescue is forthcoming. The movie also features Angela Bassett as Elodie’s stepmother, Lady Bayford, Robin Wright as Queen Isabelle, Nick Robinson as Prince Henry, Ray Winstone as the King, and Brooke Carter as Floria, Henry’s sister.
Director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who gained international acclaim for his work in the horror and thriller genres, specifically with the movie 28 Weeks Later (2007), the sequel to Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later (2002), was enthusiastic in his praise of Brown and her commitment to the character when she was preparing for it.
The movie will feature a twist on stereotypical fairytale stories, as the doomed princess showing feminine rage instead of waiting for a prince in shining armor to show up, adds a new crisp to the genre. Footage from the trailer shows Elodie climbing cave walls and gearing up in a survivalist outfit, as she leaves her princess attire to escape the ever-pursuing monster behind her. It also highlights some parts of the story that will take place outside the royal castle, hinting at a haywire storyline to come.
In addition to Elodie, it is revealed that a young woman is sacrificed to the dragon every generation as a practice, seemingly to keep the kingdom safe from its rage. Engraving of names on the stone wall tells us just how many young women have been offered as a feast to the beast, revealing just how dangerous the princess’ situation is. It is likely that, by using the failed escape attempts of others as guidance, she would be able to piece together the perfect way to escape.
Since the movie Damsel is not particularly rooted in fantasy clichés, there’s no way to tell how well Elodie’s escape attempt will lead, nor if it will have larger consequences for the kingdom. With the dragon apparently outside by the end of the trailer, it seems possible that saving her own life will carry a great magnitude to changing the scope of the world.
Millie Bobby Brown as Elodie is in distress, but she is not a damsel who needs someone else to save her, as she fearlessly wields a sword in her hand to end it all. The damsel here is brave enough to fight and survive against her personal apocalypse. The movie begins streaming on Netflix on 8th March 2024.
Watch the trailer here: https://youtu.be/4WmCw8_KbC4?si=pL6MgM8TELZzNMJM
