Doric (Sophia Lillis) is the group’s tiefling druid, a half-human, half-demon who can “wildshape” into various animals. Doric first appears as an owlbear, wrecking a band of village-burning soldiers. The shot of Doric returning to her tiefling form right as she mounts her horse? Infinitely cool. Her first spy mission leads to Sofina sensing her presence, forcing Doric to wildshape her way out of Forge’s castle. She frees the gang from the dreaded gelatinous cube in the arena by turning into a snake and slithering away before their skin melts off. And let’s not forget the final beatdown she delivers to Sofina in full owlbear berserker rage.
Don’t be surprised to see dozens of Doric costumes this year at Halloween. From her elven ears to her devil horns to her tail, Doric’s design is an instant classic, and who wouldn’t want to shapeshift? The most jaw-dropping scene for Doric is her frantic escape from Forge’s castle, during which she shifts from a fly to a mouse, back to a tiefling, and then to a bird, a cat, an axe beak, and finally, a deer. This entire chase plays out in one continuous shot, showcasing Doric’s abilities and the fluidity of her daring escape. We’ve seen extended VFX shots in blockbusters before, but this one feels more convincing due to a heavy dose of practical effects. Ben Snow, the movie’s VFX supervisor, told the Los Angeles Times that his goal was to figure out “how we can keep it real for as much as we can, and then use CG where we can’t possibly use it real.”
