Supernatural teenage drama directed by Richard LaGravenese and adapted from the novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. A mysterious young girl, Lena (Alice Englert), moves to a new school in Gatlin, South Carolina, quickly grabbing the attention of local boy Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich). When it is revealed that Lena is in fact a Caster with magic powers and only has a short time before she faces 'claiming' by either the light or dark side, the pair set out to find a way to prevent her from going evil, as her mother did. As they do, they unlock the secrets of their past and discover they share a connection through history.Beautiful Creatures flies into the otherworldly romantic sphere occupied by the Twilight films, Buffy, The Vampire Diaries, True Blood--even Charmed. Based on the best-selling young adult book by Kami Garcia, the film adaptation of Beautiful Creatures tells a romantic tale between two young people with mysterious, dark backgrounds--and more than one secret. The young stars, Alice Englert as Lena and Alden Ehrenreich as Ethan, to whom she's mysteriously drawn, have a sweet, believable chemistry. And because it's directed by pro Richard LaGravenese (the underrated but fabulous Living Out Loud, P.S. I Love You), Beautiful Creatures is blessed with high production values; a quick, satisfying pace; and a supporting cast to die for (maybe literally). Emma Thompson, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, and Jeremy Irons, especially, seem to be enjoying themselves immensely as titular grownups in a teenage love story. This cast--and Lena's unexpected but badass supernatural power--all help add up to a delicious guilty pleasure. Beautiful Creatures shines with much more polish than some of the Twilight films, but carries just as much dramatic yearning. As well it should. --A.T. Hurley