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It's annoying coming in late to the hot new fad, but assuming I'm not absolutely the last person to know anything about "Twilight," the mega-popular novels about vampires living among society, I can assure you that the movie is worth discovering.

First the bad news: for a film about vampires there's a decided lack of blood and guts, so any hardcore horror fans are likely to be disappointed. For both fans of the series and newcomers though, it's a fun teen drama with just a smidge of horror elements.

After leaving her mother and stepfather in sunny Phoenix, high school junior Bella (Kristen Stewart, "Jumper") returns to live with her father in wet, gloomy Seattle. "24" fans will get a kick out of seeing Sarah Clarke and Billy Burke, who played series villains Nina and Gary, as Bella's loving parents here.

Director Catherine Hardwicke ("The Nativity Story") makes great use of the locale, taking full advantage of the backdrop with the overcast skies and stormy weather to aid the darker storyline.

Thankfully steering away from the cliché subplot of the newcomer being harassed and not fitting it with anyone, Bella finds herself warmly greeted by her new classmates and makes fast friends.

But in true teen girl fashion, she is instantly attracted to the school "bad boy," her lab partner Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"), who doesn't seem to want anything to do with her.

Edward and his strangely affectionate four siblings are the mysterious students who stick to themselves. And what's the deal with their oddly pale skin and no one ever seeing them during the rare sunny days?

Hardwicke has a very playful style of directing and assumes the audience is in on the fact that Edward is a vampire long before he reveals the truth to Bella. Hardwicke swings the camera back and forth as the actors talk, bringing a conversational feel to the film. Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg ("Dexter") has a feel for teen dialogue and is able to craft a very engaging mystery.

Stewart and Pattinson give passionate performances as teens who think their entire lives won't mean anything if they can't be with each other.

There's an unmistakable "Romeo and Juliet" underlined theme based on a love that both parties know can't endure, but are so lost in the moment and their feelings that they ignore logic and give in to their taboo romance.

"Twilight" isn't anything you wouldn't see on the CW and it is geared toward the teen audience, but don't hold that against it.

Hardwicke wonderfully sets the stage for a sequel, and I'm certainly hooked and ready for the next installment.

Rating: ****

Twilight

PG-13; Action; 122 minutes

Director: Catherine

Hardwicke

Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Nikki Reed, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Billy Burke, Sarah Clarke and Ashley Greene