When Belle (Emma Watson) goes looking for her missing father, Maurice (Kevin Kline), she finds him imprisoned in a tower within a dark castle belonging to The Beast (Dan Stevens). She offers herself up as a prisoner in exchange for her father's release.

Belle finds to her amazement that the inanimate objects in the castle are alive, and can talk. She makes friends with them and is told that the Beast is not as terrible as he appears. She slowly gets to know the softer side of the frightening creature, just as the townsfolk are preparing to rescue her.