The end of the Twilight saga left many in need of a similar book-to-movie adaptation to fill the void.  Beautiful Creatures is that adaptation.

Beautiful Creatures tells the gripping story of Lena Duchannes (Alice Englert) and her fight to stay with the boy she loves.  When Lena first arrives in a small southern town, all but Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich), a boy desperately looking for a way out of his dead end town, fear her.  He gets way more than he bargained for when he discovers that Lena is a witch.  Additional threats to their love arise when Lena turns 16 and must undergo her “claiming”—the life changing decision between good and evil that every witch must make.

It is surprising that both protagonists were not witches, because their performances were magical.  Although they are not major film stars, they still manage to be a cute couple on screen.  It was good to see two average, relatable people on screen together rather than two extremely attractive celebrities.  Their chemistry was flawless and better actors could not have been cast for the parts.

Emma Thompson brings a special flare to her spiteful character, Sarafine.  She does a superb job bringing this evil character to life.

Emmy Rossum also did an exceptional job as Ridley Duchannes, Lena’s cousin who has been claimed by the dark.  Ridley is the ultimate bad girl and Rossum successfully portrays both her tough and fragile sides.  She was not entirely one dimensional, and her character also played a comedic role, although it would’ve been nice to see a bit more of her, given the film’s almost extraneously dark tone. Her presence, nonetheless, instills in viewers the fear that Lena could turn out exactly like her cousin, and makes the romance between the main characters even more precious.

The special effects and scenery for the film were unbelievable, bringing the movie to life and captivating viewers.  Beautiful Creatures would not have the same effect on viewers without its groundbreaking visual work.  There are no 3D gimmicks, and the visuals are still completely engrossing.

Overall, Beautiful Creatures was a magical, heart wrenching movie that has something for everyone to enjoy.  Whether it’s the love story or the extreme suspense, this movie will exceed your expectations.