DAMSEL

Millie Bobby Brown stars as Elodie, a young woman who's forced into marriage by her father to a wealthy prince, Prince Henry (Nick Robinson), in exchange for gold as their country is barren, starving, and having difficulty staying warm during this particular winter. However, what Elodie does not know until it's too late is that she's being groomed as a sacrifice for a ritual that keeps a monster satisfied and at bay, while Prince Henry's family continues to rule in peace and prosperity. The story is a safe, paint-by-numbers with the exception of the gender swap of Elodie rescuing herself rather than the handsome prince. Although Brown does give a strong performance she's unfortunately slightly overshadowed by Queen Isabelle (Robin Wright), who chews up the scenery in every scene she's in. I gave the story a 6 but with the wonderful special FX, I bumped it up slightly as director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and his team do a wonderful job at creating this new fantasy world. I enjoyed it so much, I actually wouldn't mind revisiting for a prequel telling the backstory of the monster. 6.5/10