The nihilistic influence of Quentin Tarantino, whose "Reservoir Dogs" was a Sundance hit almost a decade ago, still pops
up from time to time, even though Tarantino himself has scampered back into the oblivion whence he came. The latest film to recall his shoot-'em-all-let-God-sort-'em-out attitude is "Beautiful Creatures," a sinister British flick that is dark both literally and thematically. There's some "Thelma and Louise" here, too, as gorgeous Petula (Rachel Weisz) and smart Dorothy (Susan Lynch) go on the lam after Dorothy rescues Petula from her abusive boyfriend via hitting him in the head with a pipe. The louse, Brian (Tom Mannion), stays alive for a while, unconscious in Dorothy's bathtub. When he dies, the gals plan to stash him in his boat and let authorities think he slipped and died accidentally. Unfortunately, Dorothy's dog Pluto chews off Brian's fingers before they can do anything with him, and it seems unlikely anyone would believe Brian not only accidentally hit his head, but also accidentally sawed off a digit.
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