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The beautifully filmed Damsel injects the western genre with a welcome dose of humor and some unexpected twists, although its stately pace may frustrate impatient viewers. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

Samuel Alabaster, an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope. As his group traverses the West, the once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel.

Cast & Crew

Robert Pattinson
Samuel
Mia Wasikowska
Penelope
David Zellner
Parson Henry
Nathan Zellner
Rufus Cornell
Robert Forster
Old Preacher
Joseph Billingiere
Zacharia
Morgan Lund
Ray Kelleher
David Zellner
Director
Nathan Zellner
Director
David Zellner
Screenwriter
Nathan Zellner
Screenwriter
Nathan Zellner
Producer
David Zellner
Producer
Chris Ohlson
Producer
Jim Reeve
Executive Producer
Robert Halmi Jr.
Executive Producer
Adam Stone
Cinematographer
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Critic Reviews for Damsel

All Critics (114) | Top Critics (37) | Fresh (77) | Rotten (37)

  • A midmovie plot twist hands the narrative over to Mia Wasikowska as the sweetheart, and her committed performance seems out of place in this extended goof.

    March 4, 2020 | Full Review…

    J. R. Jones

    Chicago Reader

  • Throughout the film, Pattinson's control of his accent, his ability to add complexity to an imbecilic character, and his comedic timing are new signs that he is more than that Twilight dream boy.

    August 27, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Robert Daniels

    812filmreviews

  • Damsel spends its second half literally wandering in the woods, with no clear destination or objective in mind.

    August 7, 2018 | Full Review…

    Andrew Whalen

    Newsweek

  • As an indie film with a clever gimmick, it's worth seeing, though it never quite sustains the sweeping feel of its first two scenes.

    July 8, 2018 | Full Review…

    David Sims

    The Atlantic

  • The Zellner Brothers, Mia Wasikowska, and Robert Pattinson team up for the delightfully weird, beautifully shot, and feminist as hell Damsel.

    July 6, 2018 | Full Review…

    Roxana Hadadi

    Pajiba

  • "Damsel" takes most of the elements you've ever seen in a Western and tweaks some, twists others and comes up with something unusual and mostly satisfying.

    July 5, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

    Bill Goodykoontz

    Arizona Republic
View All Critic Reviews (114)

Audience Reviews for Damsel

  • Nov 19, 2018
    I'll give the movie props for having a unpredictable sequence that completely upends the narrative, but this is still too ponderous on the whole. I think if the filmmakers were less obsessed with being "offbeat" and put more focus into seriously examining the interesting ideas they raise, then this might have been a more effective revisionist western,
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Sep 11, 2018
    In a work with a serious Coen Brothers "nutty" vibe, Mia Wasikowska convincingly portrays a pretty woman out West during the settling days after the Civil War (where women were hard to find ... particularly pretty ones) with a frustratingly endless problem; I.e.; all the men she meets want to "save" her, despite that she herself doesn't want saving. Robert Pattinson does an excellent job as one of her impossible suitors, unwillingly to "not" save her. The work doesn't always score, but charms even when it fails due to it's stars' chemistry.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
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