Starring Millie Bobby Brown, ‘Damsel‘ is a recent dark fantasy film directed by Oscar-nominated director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. The film stars Millie Bobby Brown as Elodie, a young princess from a poor kingdom. She agrees to marry a much wealthier prince to aid her people. However, things take a dark turn when Elodie discovers that her father betrays her and that her new royal family intends to sacrifice her to settle an ancient debt. Consequently, she finds herself thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon.
“Damsel” shakes up traditional fairy tale elements by infusing wit, girl power, and surprising twists. But don’t worry, fantasy fans! It still delivers scenes that spark your imagination and reignite your passion for the genre.
Here are 10 heart-pounding moments to look out for:
1) The Opening Scene (1:20–3:23)
In the opening scene, we see a king who has entered a dragon’s den with his soldiers. They take on a triangular formation and are alert as they enter the cave to kill the dragon. We see the majestic visuals of the dragon eerily hunting them by blowing fire.
One by one, it hunts all the king’s men until only the king is left. We, as the audience, are introduced to the mythical beast in the first scene itself.
2) Foreshadowing Dragons (8:09–9:13)
Another breathtaking scene takes place when Elodie and her family are on their way to Aurea. The scene unfolds in the sea as they are travelling on a ship. In a foggy haze, Elodie sees the silhouette of dragons, and they get scared.
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When the fog clears, it is revealed that the dragons were merely statues at the entrance to Aurea. This is a foreshadowing of what was coming in Elodie’s life.
3) Getting married to Henry (26:12–28:40)
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Another significant scene is when Elodie gets ready to get married right after her stepmother informs her that something is wrong. The maids dress her in her wedding attire as if getting her ready for a battle. Henry and Elodie exchange rings, and the wedding happens. The scene is very bright and peaceful akin to the saying ‘calm before the storm’.
4) When Elodie fed to the Den (30:46–35:18),
In this sequence, Elodie is lured into a cave on the pretext of ancient rituals by the royal family. There, her hand is cut, and her blood is mixed with Henry’s, making her of royal blood. Taking her by utter surprise, Henry takes her in his arms and throws her into the dragon’s den. This will be the start of her survival journey.
5) The Bird Cave and the Chase (38:50–44:02)
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A visually stunning scene takes place as Elodie tries to figure things out. She spots a burning bird and tries to save it; then we see vivid yellow-burning birds all flying into that part of the cave.
Then, we have a sequence where the vicious dragon converses with her, declaring that she needs to kill her as promised, and consequently chases her down. She manages to escape, though she is not unscathed.
6) Crystal Tunnel Scene (1:00:20–1:04:30)
After seeing the map, Elodie departs the safe place to escape through the crystal tunnel, thinking that it would be a way to freedom. She is excited after seeing it and bravely makes a plan to climb up the tunnel using a crown. Visually delightful and full of adrenaline, things take a turn when, halfway up, the dragon finds her. Once up, though, she is dismayed as she sees that the opening of the tunnel is high up in the mountain.
7) The Truth Revealed (1:07:22–1:09:14)
Elodie comes back to the dragon’s lair when she hears her father come in to rescue her. There she finds the fossilised dead foetuses of the dragon. A flashback occurs, and the truth is revealed. The King of Aurea, from the opening scene, actually killed the dragon’s hatchlings, which is why the dragon killed his soldiers. There, she makes a pact with him that three princesses will be sent to be killed periodically to avenge the deaths of her three hatchlings, who were the last of her line.
8) Elodie Faces the Dragon (1:25:20–1:30:03)
After her sister Floria is held captive by the dragon, Elodie goes into the dragon’s lair to rescue her sister. She makes a plan to distract the dragon and tries to rescue her sister. Ultimately, she has to face off with the dragon, wherein she tries to reason with her that they’ve both been tricked and lied to. The dragon, unwilling to listen, blows fire on Elodie, burning a lot of her body. Elodie manages to injure the dragon with her dagger.
9) Elodie Tricks the Dragon (1:30:16–1:33:10)
Continuing from the above scene, Elodie notices that the dragon’s breath is coming back from a certain spot. She tricks the dragon into standing right in front of that spot and dares her to burn her.
The dragon does so, Elodie rushes away, and the dragon’s fire reverts back to the dragon itself, burning her severely.
10) Elodie Arrives at the Wedding (1:36:13–1:39:22)
In this scene, we see Elodie arrives at Henry’s wedding with another innocent princess. She advises the princess to run away with her family and warns other people present to run as well. In a majestic manner, the dragon swoops in and burns the royals and their castle, taking revenge for being misled for so long. Millie Bobby Brown as Elodie leaves the burning castle behind and walks away with the dragon by her side, proving that she’s a damsel who needs no prince to save herself.
We hope you watch these scenes for their cinematic and visual excellence. If you’re a fantasy lover, this movie provides just the right amount of plot, acting, and stunning visuals to tickle that bug in you!
