Alex Norton, Iain Glen, Rachel Weisz

Not so much a feminist twist on the bloody British gangster thriller as a vision of innocents in thugland, Beautiful Creatures offers a pair of birds at the center of this traditionally bloke...( read more  read more... )-driven genre. Think of it as Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels by way of Bound. Susan Lynch and Rachel Weisz are Dorothy and Petula, gangster girlfriends desperate to escape the Scottish underworld of scumbags, violent gang bosses, and corrupt cops.

The familiar details are all here--a dead body that won't go away, an uneasy balance between sadistic violence and black humor, and a tightening web of conspiracies and revenge plots that converge in a messy climax. But director Bill Eagles and writer Simon Donald temper the runaway plotting and cutthroat conniving of alpha males with moments of female bonding and giggly girl talk. Unfortunately they never quite overcome the brutal misogyny inherent in the genre. Still, there's a real joy in seeing Petula's self confidence blossoming under Dorothy's encouragement and trust, and you can't help but want the giddy girlfriends to triumph over the big, bad underworld. --Sean Axmaker

Flixster Users

39% liked it

2,397 ratings

Critics

37% liked it

57 critics

R

Directed by: Bill Eagles

Release Date: April 6, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (95)


  • April 10, 2006
    I heard this was boring, but I didn't find it to be too bad. It was alright.
  • November 23, 2009
    Stupid characters, stupid music, stupid/no plot. Just plain freaking stupid. Rachel Weisz wth were u thinking????
  • October 3, 2009
    Rachel Wesz blonde!?!?
  • March 2, 2009
    all i can really say its very intresting
  • February 19, 2009
    Enjoyable UK film with good storyline.
  • February 18, 2009
    No thankyou - Not interested
  • February 7, 2009
    well umn just seen this movie 4 the 1st time n think that this is a good movie 2 watch..its got a good cast of actors/actressess throughout this movie..i think that both rachel weisz n susan lynch play good parts throughout this movie...its a good movie with a good cast throughou...( read more)t this movie...i think that the director of this Drama/black comedy movie had done a good job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie..its an enjoyable movie 2 watch with a good cast throughout this movie
  • June 14, 2008
    This movie was considered a comedy/drama on Tivo. There was no comedy in it, maybe the weird music queues...that's it.
  • March 28, 2008
    Dorothy is having a bad day. After her deranged boyfriend, Tony, trashes her apartment, steals her money and dyes her white dog, Pluto, bright pink, Dorothy runs into Petula who is on the brink of being strangled in a dark alley by her own boyfriend, Brian. She comes to Petula's ...( read more)defense and knocks Brian on the back of his head with a pipe. But complications arise. Somehow Brian turns up dead. If there's anyone Petula is more terrified of than her boyfriend, it's his even more dangerous older brother--who also happens to be her boss. With a scheme that seems to develop on its own, Petula tells him Brian has been kidnapped for a lot of ransom. They may as well get something out of the ordeal. But a corrupt, lascivious police detective uncovers the scheme and Dorothy's irate boyfriend shows up looking for revenge and leaving Petula and Dorothy at the mercy of three perilous men... and these men are rotten to the core - mean, stupid, awful human beings. Dorothy and Petula, while undeniably stupid in their choices of companions, are far better people - and infinitely more likeable - than these sad examples of manhood.

    The story moves along at a brisk pace and has a morbid sense of humor throughout, which leaves you laughing in spite of yourself. Dorothy and Petula aren't exactly deep characters, but they're not Laverne and Shirley, either. Their rapport is amusing, as are some of the more fantastic plot twists. The film, which is empowering to women in its odd way, has a violent, wacko energy that keeps it alive and is actually a lot of fun to watch.

    For folks who like a genuinely tense suspense film with heavy doses of black humor ... Beautiful Creatures is a definate must see.

Critic Reviews


April 27, 2001
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Emits an aura of contrived cool.

April 20, 2001
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

A movie about two of the most loathsome women in recent cinema, and the movie thinks the male characters are the villains. full review

April 20, 2001
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

The women operate at different speeds, contrast well and make a likable duo. full review

View more Beautiful Creatures reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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