Beautiful Creatures Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A small-town boy falls for a witch and they try to stop her evil mom from ruining everything, but only after some Civil War reenactments and lots of gothic brooding.

🍿 Beautiful Creatures: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Ethan’s Yearning and Lena’s Arrival

Ethan Wate, a teenager in the small, conservative town of Gatlin, South Carolina, dreams of escaping to a larger world. His life is disrupted by the arrival of Lena Duchannes, a mysterious newcomer and the niece of the reclusive Macon Ravenwood. She immediately becomes an outcast due to the town’s superstitions and prejudices against her family. Ethan is drawn to Lena, recognizing her from his recurring dreams. He defies the town’s judgment and offers her friendship, which quickly blossoms into a deeper connection. Lena possesses supernatural abilities, and her arrival stirs up strange occurrences in Gatlin, further fueling the town’s suspicion and fear.

Lena’s Secret and the Looming Claiming

Lena reveals to Ethan that she is a Caster, a witch with magical powers, and that on her sixteenth birthday, she will be claimed by either the Light or the Dark. This event will determine her destiny and the fate of those around her. She fears being claimed by the Dark, which would bring destruction and pain to Gatlin and those she loves. As Lena’s birthday approaches, her powers become increasingly difficult to control, and the forces of Light and Dark begin to exert their influence. Her mother, Sarafine, a powerful Dark Caster, actively tries to sway Lena towards the Dark, while her uncle Macon attempts to protect her and guide her towards the Light.

Unraveling the Past and Seeking a Solution

Ethan and Lena delve into their families’ intertwined history, discovering a curse that binds Lena’s fate to the Duchannes women. They learn about Genevieve Duchannes, a Caster from the Civil War era who used a forbidden spell to resurrect her lover, Ethan Carter Wate, thus cursing her bloodline. They use a locket to experience the past events and try to find a loophole. They seek guidance from Amma, Ethan’s caregiver and a powerful seer, who directs them to the Caster Library beneath the town. There, they find the Book of Moons, which reveals that the only way to break the curse is for someone Lena loves to die.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert): A powerful caster struggling with her destiny to be claimed by either the light or dark forces on her 16th birthday.
• Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich): A mortal teenager longing to escape his small town who falls in love with Lena and seeks to help her choose her own fate.
• Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons): Lena’s reclusive and mysterious uncle who acts as her guardian and advisor, harboring secrets of his own.
• Sarafine (Emma Thompson): Lena’s mother and a powerful dark caster determined to sway her daughter to embrace the dark side.
• Amma (Viola Davis): A seer and Ethan’s caretaker who possesses knowledge of the caster world and helps guide Ethan and Lena.
• Ridley Duchannes (Emmy Rossum): Lena’s provocative cousin and a dark caster who enjoys manipulating others and embracing her dark nature.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Ethan Wate: “Everybody has to deal with shit in their lives, Lena.” – Ethan tries to comfort Lena, explaining that being human means experiencing difficult emotions and overcoming them.
• Ethan Wate: “We don’t have powers to change anything any time we want. Being human is feeling bad, it’s feeling pissed off, it’s feeling scared.” – Ethan explains to Lena that feeling bad or being scared is what being human is about.
• Macon Ravenwood: “Sometimes what you want… isn’t what you need.” – Macon imparts wisdom to Lena and Ethan about making difficult choices.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $60,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $19,452,138
• Worldwide Gross: $60,052,138

💥 Beautiful Creatures Reviews

Personal Review

I really enjoyed ‘Beautiful Creatures’ because it had some cool twists. The relationship between Lena and Ethan felt genuine, and I liked the whole small-town gothic vibe. Emma Thompson as the villain was amazing, especially when she switched between being Mrs. Lincoln and Sarafine. The ending with the Civil War reenactment was wild! It’s not perfect, but I found it entertaining and a fun watch.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of supernatural romance”
  • “Viewers interested in Southern Gothic settings”
  • “Teenagers and young adults”
  • “Those who enjoy stories about witches and magic”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Supernatural violence”
  • “Mild language”
  • “Themes of death and sacrifice”
  • “Occult themes”
  • “Brief teen drinking”

Professional Reviews

• Roger Ebert.com: “While occasionally weighed down by exposition and derivative of other supernatural romances, ‘Beautiful Creatures’ manages to conjure a distinctive Southern Gothic atmosphere. The performances, especially from the veteran cast, elevate the material, making it a watchable, if not entirely original, entry in the genre.
• The New York Times: “The film possesses a certain charm thanks to its cast. Ehrenreich and Englert create believable chemistry. Emma Thompson and Jeremy Irons deliver memorable performances. Even still, Beautiful Creatures feels overstuffed and lacks the emotional resonance needed to truly captivate.
• Variety: “Solid performances from a stellar cast elevate ‘Beautiful Creatures’ above typical YA fare. While the plot meanders, the engaging dynamics between the characters and the visually striking Southern Gothic setting create an immersive experience.

Audience Reactions

Fans loved the gothic atmosphere and the captivating performances of the actors, especially Emma Thompson and Jeremy Irons.: Most viewers agreed that the movie had an engaging story with a unique Southern twist, despite some deviations from the book.

Overall Consensus: ‘Beautiful Creatures’ is generally viewed as an entertaining, though flawed, adaptation with strong performances and a distinctive Southern Gothic atmosphere. Fan reception is divided.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Alden Ehrenreich’s difficulty remembering the Charles Bukowski poem and making Alice Englert laugh was kept in the film, adding to the charm of his character.”
• “The filmmakers used Covington, Louisiana, to represent Gatlin, South Carolina, capturing the essence of a small Southern town.”

🖥️ How to Watch Beautiful Creatures?

Beautiful Creatures is available for purchase or rental on various platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu. Check your local listings for cable on-demand options. While it’s not currently streaming on subscription services like Netflix or Hulu, availability may change, so it’s always worth checking those platforms as well.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Beautiful Creatures, you might like these similar films:

• The Craft (1996): Features teenage witches dealing with their powers and societal outcast status, appealing to fans of supernatural themes.
• Twilight (2008): Deals with the romance of a teenage girl and supernatural being, love and danger, and supernatural entities.
• Practical Magic (1998): Explores themes of witchcraft, family curses, and finding love in a world of supernatural forces, similar to the blend of romance and fantasy.
• The Secret Circle (2011): Like `Beautiful Creatures`, it focuses on teenage witches discovering their powers and facing dark forces.

🛒 Beautiful Creatures Related Products

• Beautiful Creatures: The Deluxe Edition (Beautiful Creatures (1)): The deluxe edition of the book that inspired the movie with bonus content, deleted scenes, character interviews, and caster spells.
• Beautiful Creatures [Blu-ray]: Own the magic on Blu-ray with exclusive behind-the-scenes features and deleted scenes.
• Beautiful Creatures: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion: Get an in-depth look at the making of the movie with exclusive interviews, cast photos, and behind-the-scenes secrets.
• Funko Pop! Movies: Beautiful Creatures – Ridley Duchannes: Add Ridley Duchannes to your Funko Pop! collection, capturing her sassy and mischievous persona.

🎧 Soundtrack

Beautiful Creatures features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Subterranean Homesick Blues” – performed by Bob Dylan
• “Subterranea” – performed by Thenewno2
• “Subterranea” – performed by Thenewno2

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Beautiful Creatures movie review

Curious if Beautiful Creatures is worth the watch? Check out this review by Jeremy Jahns to hear his thoughts on the film’s characters, story, and overall execution.

Beautiful Creatures Featurette – The Casters

Delve deeper into the captivating world of Beautiful Creatures with this featurette. It introduces the fascinating characters and explores the intricate relationships that drive the film’s story.

✨ Rate