Damsel

Name: Damsel
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Western
Released: June 22, 2018
Duration: 113 min
Rating: 63
Cast: David Wingo, David Zellner, Gabe Casdorph, Gary Brookins, Joseph Billingiere

2018

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Ratings

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4.8

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4.8	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Ratings

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Damsel

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: June 22, 2018 | Not Rated

Starring: David Wingo, David Zellner, Gabe Casdorph, Gary Brookins, Joseph Billingiere, Mia Wasikowska, Morgan Lund, Nathan Zellner, Ray Kelleher, Robert Forster, Robert Pattinson, Robyn Adams

Summary: Samuel Alabaster (Robert Pattinson), an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American Frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). As Samuel traverses the Wild West with a drunkard named Parson Henry (David Zellner) and a miniature horse called Butterscotch, their once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring theSamuel Alabaster (Robert Pattinson), an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American Frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope (Mia Wasikowska). As Samuel traverses the Wild West with a drunkard named Parson Henry (David Zellner) and a miniature horse called Butterscotch, their once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel.… Expand

Director: David Zellner and Nathan Zellner

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Western

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 113 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Dana Schwartz

Jul 25, 2018

Far from a perfect film — the morals are clunky, the pacing awkward at points — Damsel still manages to achieve the rare distinction of being both ambitious and just so much goddam fun. Read full review

Eric Kohn

The downside to the Zellners’ uncompromising approach is that they sometimes hold an inspired moment for too long. Certain scenes drag, and some banter has an airless quality that causes a few gags to fall flat. But it’s often rescued by nuggets of hilarious dialogue...and the steady realization that the movie always has been one step ahead of audience assumptions. Read full review

Tim Grierson

Throwing darts at genre conventions while honouring what is eternally mythic about the milieu, this comedy-drama draws off-kilter performances from Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska that subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) reframe archetypes and consistently set us back on our heels. Read full review

Josh Larsen

Jun 28, 2018

If you’re on their wavelength (like Kumiko, Damsel is driven by a dry sense of humor, with the studied pacing to match), you won’t mind. But if you’re not able to completely buy in, the movie’s second half might feel a bit like the long stretching out of the same, sly joke. Read full review

Justin Chang

Jun 21, 2018

There is something inspired about the idea of fusing old-school aesthetic brio and revisionist politics, but the instant you see what Damsel is up to, its power begins to dissipate. Read full review

Ty Burr

Jun 27, 2018

Damsel, goofy, absurdist, and subversive, feels like a brave step in an uncertain direction. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

Jun 27, 2018

Damsel is a misguided exercise, a 113-minute mistake and a waste of time, but it does have a good opening. Read full review

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User Reviews

Tyderium

Jul 15, 2018

Kind of hard to imagine anyone taking this film literally. From across unknown waters we arrive at mountains and deserts, peopled by archetypes who don't talk or behave the way we expect. What we recognize is reckless violence and the belief of every male character that they somehow have aKind of hard to imagine anyone taking this film literally. From across unknown waters we arrive at mountains and deserts, peopled by archetypes who don't talk or behave the way we expect. What we recognize is reckless violence and the belief of every male character that they somehow have a right to the nearest female. As always, these two elements bring disaster, highlighted by the conceit that we're watching a classic western whose roles are as set-in-stone as a Punch and Judy show. The comedy is both subtle and broad, the only female unscathed by the bumbling machoism is the "maybe even unique" Butterscotch, who ultimately disappears back into the magical mist. Maybe blondes really do have more fun.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Lovesindies

Jul 15, 2018

As a lover of indies and original films, this film was up my alley! Daring. bold, funny, full of twists and turns that are totally unexpected! The pace was slow at times , but still this film is worth seeing. The cinematography is spectacular. Strong acting by Robert Pattinson, MiaAs a lover of indies and original films, this film was up my alley! Daring. bold, funny, full of twists and turns that are totally unexpected! The pace was slow at times , but still this film is worth seeing. The cinematography is spectacular. Strong acting by Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, and David Zellner. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Saw it at an early film festival with a full audience. The men laughed the loudest. In an era of superhero films , this film is so original, quirky, hilarious, feminist, and different. If you enjoyed the Zellner brothers' Kumiko, you'll "get" this original film !… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

GinaK

Jul 5, 2018

Although the intention and context are different, this film reminded me of the moment in Mel Brooks’ “The Producers” when the audience realizes that “Springtime for Hitler” is hilarious. I (and the rest of the audience at “Damsel”) didn’t “get it” at the beginning and watched about a thirdAlthough the intention and context are different, this film reminded me of the moment in Mel Brooks’ “The Producers” when the audience realizes that “Springtime for Hitler” is hilarious. I (and the rest of the audience at “Damsel”) didn’t “get it” at the beginning and watched about a third of the film in silence – then suddenly the whole film made sense and we started to get the jokes and laugh out loud. Listen carefully to Parson Henry’s musings at the beginning of the film and then try to figure out what’s really going on. When you finally see how cockeyed the whole film is, I think you will find it very funny and enjoy it.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

KeithDow

Jul 9, 2018

'Damsel' is bold and rather peculiar offering from the Zellner brothers that threads together the notion of a western, comedy, and drama.

Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska are entertaining as hell to watch and the film is unequivocally beautifully shot--equal credit needs to be given to'Damsel' is bold and rather peculiar offering from the Zellner brothers that threads together the notion of a western, comedy, and drama.

Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska are entertaining as hell to watch and the film is unequivocally beautifully shot--equal credit needs to be given to both the location scout and the cinematographer. However, it becomes clearer and clearer as the film unfolds that the story isn't quite fully fleshed out. While there are a handful of meaningful themes and existential musings that the Zellners work into the plot, they never leap off the screen and burrow as thoughts that further germinate inside one's mind after leaving the theater.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

Panchogul

Jun 14, 2020

Inmensamente aburrida, historia poco interesante, lenta y excesivamente sobreactuada.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

damselsucks

Jul 1, 2018

What a piece of crap. I’ve seen movies that were worse, but few that I deeply wanted to leave early more or that pissed me off as much. It has *some* merit (beautifully shot, a couple amusing moments). But ultimately: millennial garbage par excellence. These two brothers wrote and directedWhat a piece of crap. I’ve seen movies that were worse, but few that I deeply wanted to leave early more or that pissed me off as much. It has *some* merit (beautifully shot, a couple amusing moments). But ultimately: millennial garbage par excellence. These two brothers wrote and directed it, and they clearly think they are the Coen brothers with a hint of Wes Anderson for whimsy. What’s more, they stole their take on male hope-projection onto a beautiful women from a much better film: There’s Something About Mary.

In attempting to subvert masculine cowboy tropes, they made a hack film of a different sort: one that is accepted because it panders to popular opinion among people who go to the renovated art house movie theater in the part of town they gentrified with their trust fund bucks. It isn’t that the opinion is wrong or uninteresting in and of itself, it’s just relayed in this film in such a hack, lazy, glib, boring way by people certain they’re more clever than they are.

It would have taken an amazing female lead to overcome the middle-school quality writing and all-too woke directing; their naturalistic take on zany Wes Anderson-movie dialogue was excruciating in certain scenes and I could have easily believed a teenager wrote it. But what was committed to film was one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen by an actor. To believe this woman was capable of starring in this or any picture is a strong indication you’re as irrationally obsessed with her as the film’s characters.

The result of all of this is a movie only certain people could enjoy: privileged white young women who can’t get enough of having their shallow politics pandered to and the men who subconsciously know they must share the same opinions if they want a social life, so they self-righteously and vociferously do: in other words, woke drama queens who will their victimhood while boasting their empowerment and their male allies (tm)/hangers on. Great movies don’t pander. They make people find unlikely surrogates. True subversion requires excellence and subtlety this film doesn’t come close to touching as it bashes its hack message into the faces of too many grateful to be bludgeoned with their own ideas. It doesn’t even require pretentious art house claptrap to attempt to subvert. Blockbusters like The Hunger Games--a film where the damsel is literally a cute, cake-baking boy who is saved by the ass-kicking heroine--do much more to change expectations and advance gender relations. That’s in no small part because that movie is well crafted. It’s a good movie to a broad audience (no pun intended). Damsel preaches sloppily to its own choir of loathsome millennial hipsters. I’d be just as pissed off watching a Kurt Cameron loves Jesus movie that pandered to evangelicals, and I'd be pissed for for the same exact reason. However, what's really troubling is the thought that this is the future of media post #MeToo. Indeed, that's scarier than Hereditary.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

Strikeguy

Oct 20, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. That would be one of THE WORST movies I have ever seen in my entire life. This film had no point, no plot & no acting. Only thing that was good would be the scenery for only 30 minutes. Who wrote this film anyway?… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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