Kyle Kingson is a rich kid with a problem: he treats everyone badly. When he bullies Kendra Hilferty, a girl he doesn’t know is a witch, she turns him into a monster — bald, scarred, covered in tattoos. The spell can only be broken if he finds someone who loves him by spring. That’s the setup for Beastly, and it sounds like a fairy tale worth telling. It isn’t.
The film is a modern retelling of “Beauty and the Beast,” set in New York City. Kyle is played by Alex Pettyfer, and the girl he falls for is Lindy Taylor, played by Vanessa Hudgens. The movie was written and directed by Daniel Barnz, who also adapted the screenplay from Alex Flinn’s 2007 novel of the same name. It runs 86 minutes.
Trailer, via CBS Films.
Kyle’s Transformation
The premise is simple and cruel. Kyle is handsome, rich, and terrible to people. Kendra’s curse changes him overnight. He is forced to live in a private house with their maid Zola Davies and his blind tutor, Will Fratalli, played by Neil Patrick Harris. His father, Rob Kingson, played by Peter Krause, abandons him.
Kyle spends the film trying to win Lindy back. He uses a false identity at first, calling himself Hunter, and he keeps his monstrous face hidden. He saves Lindy’s drug-addicted father from two dealers, killing one of them. The other dealer vows to kill Lindy. Kyle persuades Lindy’s father to let her move in with him, and the two start to warm up to each other.
The Spell’s Conditions
Kendra gives Kyle a deadline: spring. She also sets terms. If he wants the spell undone, he has to get Lindy to fall in love with him. She agrees to restore Will’s vision and grant green cards to Zola’s three children in Jamaica if Kyle succeeds. She tells him to try harder.
Kyle’s Letter
Kyle writes a letter saying he loves Lindy. He never gives it to her. Instead, he hands it to her in person at the hospital where her father is recovering from an overdose. Lindy reads it and tells Kyle she only considers him a good friend. Kyle is crushed.
The Supporting Cast
Mary-Kate Olsen plays Kendra, and this is her final film role. LisaGay Hamilton plays Zola, the maid who comforts Kyle when his father leaves him. Dakota Johnson appears as Sloan Hagen, and Erik Knudsen plays Trey Madison. Gio Perez plays Victor Barrel, and Karl Graboshas plays a male teacher.
What Works
The film has a few strong elements:
- The premise is sharp and cruel, which gives it a hook.
- The performances from Pettyfer and Hudgens are committed.
- Neil Patrick Harris brings warmth as Will Fratalli.
- The setting is modern New York, which grounds the fairy tale.
What Doesn’t Work
The execution is where the film stumbles. The script is thin, and the stakes feel hollow. Kyle’s transformation is meant to be a punishment, but the film spends too much time on his vanity and not enough on why we should care about him changing. The romance between Kyle and Lindy is rushed, and the resolution is a letdown.
The film also leans on convenient coincidences to move the plot along. Kyle’s father abandons him without explanation. The drug dealer goes to jail after Kyle kills one of them. These things happen because the story needs them to, not because they feel earned.
A Short Film With a Long Running Time
At 86 minutes, Beastly is a short film dressed up as a feature. It could have been tighter. It could have used more time developing Kyle’s inner conflict and less time on filler scenes. As it stands, the runtime feels stretched.
The Verdict
Beastly is a missed opportunity. It has a great premise, a solid cast, and a director who clearly cares about the material. None of that adds up to a satisfying film. The story drags, the romance falters, and the ending is a letdown.
The film is best remembered as a footnote in the careers of its leads. Pettyfer and Hudgens both have gone on to bigger roles, and Beastly is the kind of project that shows promise without delivering on it. For what it is — a modest, earnest attempt at a fairy tale retelling — it fails to land.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.
