The Princess (2022)

The Princess is a lean, gleefully ferocious fairy-tale jailbreak that turns the “damsel in distress” setup into a bruising, crowd-pleasing action showcase. Joey King sells every kick, scramble, and stubborn refusal to be controlled with a physicality that’s both credible and oddly inspiring, while the direction keeps the fights clear, punchy, and inventive inside a castle that becomes its own obstacle course. The vibe is pulpy and empowering—part medieval fantasy, part one-woman siege movie—delivered with enough swagger to feel like it knows exactly what kind of fun it’s serving. It is very much Rated R, with bloody violence and a nasty streak, so it won’t be for everyone, but if you want a brisk, feminist-tinged action romp that doesn’t waste time, it’s an easy recommendation.

The Princess is clearly aiming to be a no-nonsense “fairy tale meets action movie” where the heroine fights her way through a castle like a medieval one-woman wrecking crew. If you’re hoping for clever writing, rich world-building, or surprises, this isn’t it—the script is thin, the pacing can feel like a repetitive string of brawls, and the production sometimes looks cheaper than the story wants you to believe. That said, Joey King commits hard, the stunt-heavy combat is the main attraction, and the movie mostly delivers on its simple promise of bloody, kinetic catharsis. Skip it if you need smart dialogue or coherent fantasy politics; press play if you just want a brisk, R-rated beat-’em-up with a princess who refuses to be a victim.