.

In an interview on the Total Film podcast Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo said that when he made a movie he always wanted it to be something that had not been done before. Ignoring the fact that his first English language film was a sequel, 28 Weeks Later, this is a claim that is largely born out by the work he has done. Intacto, his first international hit, was an intriguing story about people who could steal luck from others and in gather huge amounts of it starting trying to test just how lucky they really were. Similarly, his last movie Intruders was an interesting take on evil spirits possessing small children. To be fair even his follow up to the Cillian Murphy/Danny Boyle ‘zombie’ film has a totally different cast and a whole new setting than the movie it followed.

I’m not sure this one is as original as he thinks it is though. It certainly aims to turn the conventions of fairytales on their head but not in ways that aren’t reminiscent of a range of other things from the 2022 Joey King movie The Princess, 87’s The Princess Bride and the classic children’s picture book The Paper Bag Princess. At least this doesn’t have princess in the title but it is about a girl who marries a prince only to find herself in mortal danger such that she has to rely on her fortitude to stand up against those oppressing her. Even Disney’s Enchanted and Frozen have elements of this.

It doesn’t matter that this isn’t a totally fresh idea though because like Barbie it explores notions of feminism not often enough explicitly featured in children’s films and exposing young girls and boys to these is important.

Some of the reviews of Damsel have criticised it for having a family film sensibility but grown up violence, making it suitable for neither crowd. I’m not sure I agree with this though. Like Barbie it might have aspirations it doesn’t quite earn to meet the expectations of an adult audience and it does come across as Games of Thrones for kids, but it isn’t too nasty. People are squished, stabbed and burned but not in such a way that didn’t happen in the pages of the Brothers Grimm, C.S Lewis, Dahl or any number of other storytellers who treated their young demographic with respect and trust.

What Damsel gives us is an inspirational young woman, played by Bournemouth’s own Millie Bobby Brown, who already retains her agency when entering in to a medieval marriage of convenience but then really shows Ripley style female ingenuity, bravery, strength and power when she is thrown into a hole to be fed to a dragon.

Irrelevant of your age it’s hard not to be swept up in the adventure and you’ll certainly be cheering for her when she faces off against the cold, wealthy autocrats at the end.

Damsel is on Netflix now and a watch with nines* and over is recommended.

.

*The film is rated 12A so if you have particularly sensitive children you may want to give it a check first.

.