Beautiful Creatures
2013 · Directed by Richard LaGravenese
Original language: English
- fantasy
- drama
- romance
The story
Ethan Wate just wants to get to know Lena Duchannes better, but unbeknownst to him, Lena has strange powers. As Lena's 16th birthday approaches she might decide her fate, to be good or evil. A choice which will impact her relationship forever.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-drenched Southern light fills the frame: humid gold afternoons, Spanish moss hanging over slow roads, and tall, shadowy oaks that give way to candlelit parlors and rain-streaked windows when the magic stirs. The palette leans on amber, dusty green and deep indigo, and the camera lingers on ornate old houses, lace curtains and the drift of leaves, with the occasional swirl of storm clouds or flickering flame to mark the supernatural. The score is lush and melodic, full of swelling strings and soft piano, and small-town sounds of cicadas, screen doors and church bells sit beneath the dialogue. Pacing is leisurely, with lingering glances and long conversations that build into bursts of spellwork and dramatic set pieces. Violence is absent; the danger is emotional and atmospheric, with a few tense supernatural moments and gentle peril rather than gore or fear. Tone is romantic and wistful, with a teenage love story slowly weathering class prejudice, family secrets and a looming choice about who one will become. It suits a rainy weekend afternoon, a cozy comfort rewatch, or a gentle escape for fans of Gothic romance and Southern-set fantasy who want something light, dreamy and kind.
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