Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- gothic
- romantic
- flamboyant
- romantic fantasy night
- fairy tale double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the film's lavish visuals, colors, production design, and central performances while finding its storytelling and dialogue flat or emotionally inert.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film preserves the central Belle-and-Beast romance while substantially differentiating its mythology and presentation from earlier adaptations.
Critics specifically praised the colors and contrasts of the landscapes, comparing them to Maxfield Parrish and noting the film's flamboyant production design.
Belle's initial repugnance toward the Beast gradually becomes affection, making the crossing between human and creature the central romantic tension.
The plot centers on a haunted mansion, a magical garden, a rose, and a forest that surround Belle's encounter with the Beast.
Films like Beauty and the Beast, and why
The Shape of Water
shared cinematic fairy tale framework, enchanted transformation, romantic fantasy, and lavish visual design
Crimson Peak
shared gothic romance, cursed creature imagery, fairy tale archetypes, and heightened production design
The Three Musketeers
shared French literary fairy tale tradition, romantic enchantment, and ornate fantasy worlds
Maleficent
shared modernized fairy tale romance, magical transformation, and emphasis on visual spectacle
Movie Details
- Director
- Christophe Gans
- Release Date
- 2014-02-12
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (2250)
Cast
- Vincent Cassel
- Léa Seydoux
- André Dussollier
- Eduardo Noriega
- Myriam Charleins
- Audrey Lamy
- Sara Giraudeau
- Jonathan Demurger
- Nicolas Gob
- Louka Meliava
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Beauty and the Beast about?
- A sumptuous French reimagining turns a cursed castle, a stolen rose, and a monstrous lord into a darkly romantic test of compassion.
- What is Beauty and the Beast like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Beauty and the Beast as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Beauty and the Beast violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Beauty and the Beast as mild.
- What did critics think of Beauty and the Beast?
- Critics broadly admired the film's lavish visuals, colors, production design, and central performances while finding its storytelling and dialogue flat or emotionally inert.
- Which films are like Beauty and the Beast?
- Films with a similar feel include The Shape of Water, Crimson Peak, The Three Musketeers, and Maleficent.
- How long is Beauty and the Beast?
- Beauty and the Beast runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch Beauty and the Beast?
- In United States, Beauty and the Beast streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
