Belle is an English language horror-tinged remake of Beauty and the Beast filmed in Iceland. You know the drill… a man was cursed to be a beast, a magic rose, a girl who sacrifices herself for her papa, and eventually romance blooms.

This is a dark, grim, stark film… and proves if you are on a budget, film in Iceland for maximum cinematography. The shots of the landscape are gorgeous… lyrically brutal images of a land of ice and snow with midnight sun where the hot springs flow… it’s brutal in its beauty and I was often amazed at the imagery.

The rest of the film ain’t bad either… though it’s very deliberately paced and may not exactly wow adrenaline junkies. But it’s that combination of sedate pacing, lyricism, and landscapes that sucked me in.

Maybe a little more than the romance. You see, the “beast” is just a hairy guy who could really use a Gillette. Belle needs to stay with him to protect her papa and we develop the expected romance. Except there might be a deal-breaker…

On a scale of 1 (clips his toenails in public) and 10 (murders and eats people) he tends more to the ten. Yeah, the curse makes him an actual cannibal. I’m not a big fan of the Bad Boy trope… but maybe this goes too far? But, hell, what do I know? I want to eject Heathcliff (the guy, not the cat) into space so maybe this is a foible a moon-eyed romantic can get past…

But in all seriousness, this is definitely a romance and they do a decent job of establishing the relationship. They pepper in some surprisingly cute and awkward moments that made me chuckle. Maybe there isn’t enough time spent debating the pros and cons of “my boyfriend is forced to eat people” but who am I to judge?

I rather like this film. It’s lyrical pace and gorgeous setting are highlights. If you are inclined to enjoy the Bad Boy trope, you might even swoon. I am not and have never knowingly swooned, but the romance eventually worked for me. Good flick… though maybe a bit an… acquired taste.

Score: 82