Summary
- Women take charge in fantasy films like Damsel, saving themselves from danger and confronting evil creatures without waiting for a knight.
- The book version of Damsel offers a more complex and satisfying ending than the Netflix movie, featuring a transformative and epic conclusion.
- The book ending of Damsel breaks away from traditional fairy tale tropes, leaving viewers intrigued and questioning what lies ahead for the characters.
Princes saving princesses, mythical creatures lurking about, and a touch of magic and luck lingering over those with brave souls have always been the basic ingredients of a good fantasy film. However, with our ever-changing world and evolved idealizations of how characters should handle certain predicaments, one of these storylines has significantly shifted. Rather than the knight in shining armor showing up to save the day with his trusty steed, young women are tearing up their layered dresses and getting down and dirty as they save themselves from evil creatures. Millie Bobby Brown’s latest Netflix film, Damsel, is a perfect example of women snubbing the patriarchy and coming to their own rescue.
In Netflix’s new fantasy offering, Elodie (Brown) finds herself in an arranged marriage to the prince of Aurea. Though she is initially upset, she knows what the prince’s kingdom will be able to provide for her own will be worth the sacrifice. Unfortunately, Elodie never realized that she would be sacrificed by her new husband to a ruthless dragon (voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo) in the nearby mountains. After the rushed ceremony and ritual, the story then follows Elodie as she desperately tries to evade the terrible creature and make her way back home.
Surprisingly, not a lot of fans were too enthralled by this film. Many critics feel that the damsel saving herself storyline has become predictable and even boring. Plenty of viewers have taken to the internet with their annoyances and concerns about the lackluster ending only to find that a book version of the film was created and released just before the movie began streaming on Netflix. This is not to say the film is based on the book, but rather, a talented author named Evelyn Skye actually got her hands on the script and was given the creative freedom to create Elodie’s story. There are quite a few similarities between the book and the movie, but the ending is what really shakes things up between the two.
Find out how Damsel‘s book ending is vastly different (and possibly better) from the Netflix movie.
Damsel
- Release Date
- March 8, 2024
- Director
- Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
- Writers
- Dan Mazeau
How Does Netflix’s Damsel End?
Elodie Gets Her Revenge and Sets Things Straight
After an hour of watching Millie Bobby Brown’s Elodie run around the maze-like caves, piecing together information from former sacrifices, she finally makes it out alive. Sadly, on her way back to civilization, she learns that her younger sister, Floria (Brooke Carter), has been sacrificed to the dragon. Elodie then turns right back around to find her sister and put an end to the royal family’s cruel tradition.
When Elodie finds the dragon, she tries to explain how it has been tricked for many centuries into thinking it was actually receiving Aurean princesses as sacrifices, but in reality, all the women it killed were in fact innocent. They had each married into the family and participated in a blood-mixing ritual that made the dragon believe royal blood ran through their veins. The dragon initially does not accept this truth and goes after Elodie. However, it manages to burn itself in the process. Not wanting to become a killer herself, Elodie heals the dragon, and the creature then realizes there must be truth to the kind girl’s words. They then devise a plan that will put an end to all the falsified sacrifices.
Elodie shows up and confronts Prince Henry at his third and final wedding. His mother is appalled that Elodie made it out of the mountain alive, but when the dragon appears, the royal family seems to accept their fate. In a glorious blaze of fire, the family is killed, and Elodie, her sister, and her stepmother (Angela Bassett) contently travel back to their lands with the dragon flying alongside the ship.
How Netflix Spoiled Damsel Before It Was Even Released
Despite topping Netflix charts, the streamer botched Damsel’s viewing experience ahead of its release.
Damsel’s Book Ending is Very Different
Rather Than Becoming a Standard Heroine, Elodie Becomes a Dragon
It should come as no surprise to anyone that books hold so much more detail than their movie counterparts. With Evelyn Skye’s version of Dan Mazeau’s script, which she actually wrote and published before the Netflix film came out, she takes Elodie’s character to a much more complex level. Readers get more of a backstory of how Elodie feels about her family and the whole arranged marriage, and the previous sacrifices get their own voice as they guide Elodie to safety. For the most part, the book is just a more in-depth look into the movie and its characters; that is, until you get to the end.
Rather than Elodie healing the dragon during their final battle, she and the dragon (who is actually the daughter of the original dragon) fight to the death. When they are both vanquished, their blood mixes, bringing each of them back to life with new abilities. Elodie finds that she can transform into a dragon, and the deadly beast becomes fertile once again. This crazy magical act fulfilled the prophecy (that was never discussed in the film) that a princess would help restore the dragon species. The two then storm off to take revenge on the Aurean royal family, but instead of leaving afterward, Elodie and her sister decide to stick around and help the Aurean people rebuild and create a better life for themselves.
10 Best Movies Like Damsel to Stream on Netflix, Prime, Apple TV+, and More
From epic quests and hidden magical worlds to evil foes and very brave women saving the day, these movies will satisfy your fantasy cravings.
Why the Book Ending is the Better Way to Go
Breaking Traditions and Expectations Can Be a Good Thing
While the movie version’s ending did conclude on a happy note, plenty of viewers actually prefer the book’s ending for Elodie. The “and they all live happily ever after” feeling audiences get at the end of Netflix’s Damsel, when Elodie, Floria, and Lady Bayford sail away back to their own kingdom, is rather dull. Yes, it is nice that Elodie was able to save her younger sister, and their bond with their stepmother seems to be much stronger now that secrets have been revealed. However, after such a dramatic burn-them-all scene, it feels a bit mundane.
Skye’s ending, on the other hand, not only flips the damsel in distress trope on its head but Elodie and Floria do not leave behind a village of ruins. Instead, they decide to stay behind and help the people rebuild their lives without such a cruel tradition set by the royal family. Elodie, being able to turn into a dragon, raises the question of what she will do in the future, where she will travel, and how she will now be the guardian of the people. It is certainly an interesting situation that keeps viewers wondering and guessing, and as far as fans of the book are concerned, it appears to be the preferred closure to a pretty good tale. Stream on Netflix.
