Beautiful Creatures
Beautiful Creatures is a 2013 American gothic fantasy romance film adapted from the novel of the same name. It tells the story of Ethan Wate, a mortal teenager in a small Southern town, who falls in love with Lena Duchannes, a powerful caster (witch) with supernatural abilities. Lena is cursed to be claimed by either the Light or the Dark on her sixteenth birthday, a fate that she and Ethan try desperately to avert. The film blends elements of young adult romance, fantasy, and Southern Gothic, featuring magical powers, ancient curses, and a conflict between good and evil. The narrative explores themes of choice, destiny, tolerance, and judging people beyond appearances, set against a backdrop of a conservative, religious community. The content is generally aimed at a teenage audience, with supernatural violence, intense romantic encounters, and some mature themes.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe film contains frequent and intense supernatural violence, including magical battles, destructive displays of power, and implied deaths. While not always graphically bloody, the impact and consequences of the violence are significant and can be disturbing.
Lena's uncontrolled rage causes classroom windows to shatter and explode, injuring students. Ridley, a Dark Caster, uses her powers to make a boy walk onto railway tracks where he is fatally hit by a train. In a Civil War flashback, an ancestor dies in battle, is briefly revived by a spell, and then killed again. Later, Ethan is killed during a Civil War reenactment when Link, under a spell, shoots him with a real bullet. The antagonist Sarafine is ultimately destroyed by Lena, disintegrating into a tree.
Profanity
HighThe movie contains a notable amount of coarse and strong language. Multiple parental reviews indicate frequent use of expletives.
MetroFamily Magazine lists specific profanity including 'chickensh*t,' 'bullsh*t,' 'ass,' 'suckass,' 'kickass,' 'badass,' 'b*tch,' 'damn,' 'hell,' and 'goddamn.' Movieguide indicates 'about 76 mostly strong obscenities & 11 mostly mild profanities' in one review and 25 obscenities and five profanities in another, suggesting frequent usage.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighWitchcraft and occult themes are central and pervasive throughout the film, portraying magic as a real and powerful force. Characters are referred to as 'casters' (witches) and perform various spells, rituals, and supernatural feats that drive the entire plot.
Lena and her family are 'casters' who perform spells, with Lena herself having uncontrollable powers. The plot revolves around Lena's 16th birthday, when she is fated to be 'claimed' by either the Light or Dark forces of magic, stemming from an ancient family curse. Characters conjure the spirit of a dead uncle, pronounce curses, and engage in magical battles, such as Lena ultimately destroying Sarafine. The town library has a secret 'caster library' underneath it, holding ancient magical books.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe movie contains frequent disturbing and frightening scenes, heightened by supernatural elements and a pervasive sense of dread about Lena's impending fate. Magical confrontations are intense and involve significant peril to characters.
Lena's uncontrolled emotional states trigger violent magical outbursts, such as shattering classroom windows and causing a massive storm during the Civil War reenactment. The film features disturbing visions and flashbacks, including scenes of Ethan's ancestor, Genevieve, reviving her dead love and then killing him again. The constant threat of Lena turning completely dark on her sixteenth birthday creates significant suspense and psychological intensity throughout the narrative.
Anti-Christian Themes
HighThe film portrays Christian characters and beliefs in a predominantly negative light, often depicting them as narrow-minded, hypocritical, or antagonistic towards the casters. It suggests that religious institutions can be repressive and critical of differing viewpoints.
Christians in the town are frequently depicted as narrow-minded and villainous, particularly in their opposition to Lena and her family, whom they label 'witches' and 'devil worshippers.' Several girls at school taunt Lena using Christian references, with one telling Ethan, 'I pray every night that you don't go straight to hell!' Sarafine, the primary antagonist, openly mocks the concept of God, stating it was a human invention and, while possessing Mrs. Lincoln, condemns 'liberals, gays and fornicators' to hellfire.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumWhile no overt or explicit LGBTQ+ characters or storylines are centrally featured in the 2013 'Beautiful Creatures' film based on most mainstream reviews, one source identifies a 'latent, lesbian homosexual subtext.' This subtext, however, appears to be an erroneous attribution by the source to this film, potentially confusing it with a different movie of the same title. The book series the film is based on, 'The Caster Chronicles,' has been noted to include a gay character.
Movieguide's review for the 2013 film 'Beautiful Creatures' states there is a 'latent, lesbian homosexual subtext'. This specific claim regarding the 2013 fantasy film is not widely corroborated by other reviews, and may be confused with another film titled 'Beautiful Creatures' (a 2000 thriller with implied lesbian themes). For the book series, 'The Caster Chronicles,' a Goodreads thread mentions it 'does feature a gay character.'
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe film features passionate kissing, implied sexual activity, and suggestive attire and behavior. While full nudity is absent, some scenes are designed to be seductive and highlight sexual power.
Lena and Ethan share several passionate kisses, with one instance causing a nearby sign to burst into flames. Ridley, who possesses siren-like abilities, uses her powers to entice men and is often seen in provocative, cleavage-baring, and see-through clothing. Link and a girl are shown kissing passionately and making out on a bed, though they remain clothed. There is also a veiled sexual joke about oral sex made by Link.
Substance Use
MediumThe film depicts characters consuming alcohol and smoking. While not always central, these instances indicate casual use of substances.
Adult characters are shown drinking wine at dinner. Teenagers are seen drinking beer out of bottles in the street or rail yard. Uncle Macon uses a spell to influence Ethan, causing him to reveal a future vision where he becomes a 'drunkard.' Smoking is also mentioned as present in the film.
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumThe film features themes of youthful rebellion against small-town norms and authority figures, alongside instances of overt disrespect and antagonistic behavior.
Ethan Wate expresses strong disdain for his small, conservative Southern town and dreams of escaping it, embodying a rebellious spirit against his environment. In school, students openly gossip about Lena and her family, calling them 'devil worshippers,' and explicitly taunt Lena, leading to a magical outburst. Some reviews also note instances of 'lying, extortion & police corruption', and portrayals of 'feminist heroines must resort to extortion and violence to get away from' 'evil' male characters, indicating defiance against perceived patriarchal oppression.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Not recommended for children under 13, with parental guidance for children under 15, and suitable for ages 15+. This recommendation is based on the film's frequent supernatural violence, scary and disturbing scenes, moderate sexual content and suggestive themes, strong language, and pervasive occult themes.
Additional Notes
The film's runtime is 124 minutes. It is a standalone film based on the first book of 'The Caster Chronicles' series, and subsequent installments of the book series were not adapted into films, so content evolution across sequels is not applicable to the movie franchise. The movie received mixed critical reviews and performed modestly at the box office. Parents should be aware of the strong thematic elements related to occult practices and the overtly negative portrayal of Christian characters, which may be a point of discussion or concern for faith-based families.
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