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(Image credit: Netflix)
Much of the film sees the Stranger Things star navigating dark caves under the earth to try and escape the fire-breathing monster. With plenty of close-ups and its dark tone – as well as a sinister creature lurking in the shadows – there’s a hint of Alien’s Ripley to her character.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ and theInside Total Film podcast, director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo agrees the Ridley Scott film lingered over their filming, as did another, more unexpected, filmmaker.
“I mean, Alien is one of my favorite movies, for sure,” he says. “And it’s there, you know. The shadow of Alien is some kind of protecting guidance I think, for every filmmaker. But I would say that specifically for Damsel because I was so keen to show a more mysterious suspense layer that funnily enough, I would say that Hitchcock is an influence for me.”
(Image credit: Twentieth Century Fox)
He adds: “Even for this movie, because the way that Elodie, for example, is discovering the places and how the camera is tracking our point of view. It is an honor to that kind of filmmaking style that Hitchcock did.”
The28 Weeks Laterdirector shares he drew on his horror background too when conveying the darkness of the story. “Every single fantasy tale contains a level of darkness because if you’re going to tell the story about a transformation, you have to assume as an audience member that probably the protagonist is going to walk through darkness,” he adds. “That’s the only way to transform yourself, you have to walk into a very uncomfortable place in order to become a new person. It’s a matter of being faithful with that.”
Damsel is on Netflix now. You can listen to the full interview on theInside Total Film podcast, which is out now too. We also speak to Fresnadilloabout why Brown was the “perfect” actor for the role.
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More about fantasy moviesJust two weeks after its theatrical release, Lord of the Ring: The War of Rohirrim is heading to digital32 movies that spawned iconic internet memes
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Just two weeks after its theatrical release, Lord of the Ring: The War of Rohirrim is heading to digital32 movies that spawned iconic internet memes
Just two weeks after its theatrical release, Lord of the Ring: The War of Rohirrim is heading to digital
Just two weeks after its theatrical release, Lord of the Ring: The War of Rohirrim is heading to digital
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32 movies that spawned iconic internet memes
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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4
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4
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”