Millie Bobby Brown's 'Damsel' is basically Ready or Not, but with a dragon

Fans have been quick to draw comparisons between Damsel and the 2019 movie Ready or Not ever since the former's release on Netflix on March 8, 2024. Though they are widely different in their elements, the two movies are quite similar in essence.

Both movies depict the ritualistic sacrifice of the family's new wife on the day of her marriage into the new family. While Ready or Not does that in the form of a card game that the new bride must play as a family tradition, Damsel does that in the form of a ritual in which she is thrown into a dragon lair.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers. Please read at your discretion.

---

What are some of the similarities between Damsel and Ready or Not?

Ever since Damsel was released on Netflix, audiences have not been able to keep quiet about the stark similarities between the movie and the 2019 black comedy horror film Ready or Not. This is because both movies follow the story of a newlywed wife who is completely unaware of the peculiar ways of the family they are married into.

In both movies, what first seems like a union of hearts and families later turns into an adventure of horror and plight. In the Netflix dark fantasy film, this happens in the form of a ritual that is performed following Elodie's marriage to Prince Henry. In Ready or Not, this happens in the form of a card game that Grace, the new wife, must partake in with Alex and his family following their marriage.

In terms of how the events of the two movies pan out, the two are also starkly similar. In both movies, after being trapped in the whereabouts of their in-laws, the new wife devises a plan to escape, for which she must go to extreme lengths. In Ready or Not, this involves not getting caught by her in-laws and getting killed; in Damsel, this involves not getting killed by the dragon and finding an escape out of its lair.

Another point of similarity between the two movies is that in both, the in-laws end up getting killed by the end of the movie. In Ready or Not, this happens when Grace makes it out alive of the hide and seek game by dawn the next day and the entire Le Domas family implodes. In Damsel, this happens when Elodie interrupts another wedding of Prince Henry and burns the entire Aurean Kingdom to the ground with a little help from her dragon friend.

---

Is Netflix's Damsel a good movie?

Damsel was released on Netflix on March 8, 2024. Ever since its release, the movie has received mixed responses from critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has received an average rating of 76 percent from the audience. The critics, on the other hand, have rated the movie at 59 percent.

Rodrigo Perez, a frequent contributor on Rotten Tomatoes and a top critic at The Playlist, says:

"This is a boring, unimaginative film, seemingly made by a boring, dull filmmaker seemingly clueless about how insipid the screenplay is."

A member of the audience writes:

"Dialogue was painfully bad, writing was cheesy & the performances from the entire cast were embarrassing."

The reviews by the audience were not all bad, as one member says:

"I very much enjoyed this take on a Dragon! Probably one of the best I've seen in a while! As always Molly was excellent!!! Enjoyed the whole cast to be honest."

---

Damsel is currently streaming on Netflix.