Firestarter

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2:45

Firestarter

R

Released May 13, 2022

1h 34m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

Sci-Fi

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Popcornmeter

10%

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162 Reviews

47%

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250+ Verified Ratings

For more than a decade, parents Andy (Zac Efron; Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile; The Greatest Showman) and Vicky (Sydney Lemmon; Fear the Walking Dead, Succession) have been on the run, desperate to hide their daughter Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong; American Horror Story: Double Feature, The Tomorrow War) from a shadowy federal agency that wants to harness her unprecedented gift for creating fire into a weapon of mass destruction. Andy has taught Charlie how to defuse her power, which is triggered by anger or pain. But as Charlie turns 11, the fire becomes harder and harder to control. After an incident reveals the family's location, a mysterious operative (Michael Greyeyes; Wild Indian, Rutherford Falls) is deployed to hunt down the family and seize Charlie once and for all. Charlie has other plans.

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Critics Consensus

There was plenty of room to improve on the original, but Firestarter trips over that low bar and tumbles toward the bottom of the long list of Stephen King adaptations.

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Audience Says

It isn't offensively awful, but this Firestarter is still a half-hearted letdown compared to the book -- or even the mediocre first film adaptation.

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Victoria Luxford

BBC.com

The acting is very stiff, the special effects look cheap… (the 1984 film) isn’t very well remembered, but somehow this manages to be worse.

Rated: 1/5

May 27, 2022

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

The most incoherent, unengaging, and weirdly mean-spirited

May 19, 2022

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Jason Bailey

Rolling Stone

The effects are dodgy and unconvincing. The emotional investment is nil. The running time is only 94 minutes long, thus proving there may, in fact, be a merciful higher power out there. It’s still a four-alarm disaster.

May 16, 2022

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Zach Youngs

InSession Film

Firestarter evokes no strong feelings. It's not a film that has a point of view or an urge to get you to understand something about human nature.

Rated: D

Jul 3, 2024

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Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

Firestarter should either be a campy romp or a semi-serious look at the way people try to quell the rage of young women.

May 22, 2024

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Emiliano Basile

EscribiendoCine

Keith Thomas sets the original script on fire and with that, the possibility of making a better movie. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/10

Apr 24, 2024

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Donald

There was no reason to start this fire. I pray this is fully extinguished forever.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/18/22

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Chris

The movie built up the action as it went along. Better movie than what some of the reviews said.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/06/22

Full Review

Terrence

stretch in the believability of the decisions made by actors

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/01/22

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Chris

Great movie quick to point did not like ending

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/01/22

Full Review

First L

Pretty cool movie I think it has a good story to it. Something to watch when theres nothing good to watch

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/31/22

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Tyler

This movie make me want to read the book. It’s a great movie and all actor did good.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/30/22

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Keith Thomas

Director

Zac Efron

Andy McGee

Ryan Kiera Armstrong

Charlie McGee

Sydney Lemmon

Vicky McGee

Kurtwood Smith

Dr. Joseph Wanless

John Beasley

Irv Manders

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Firestarter: Official Clip - Kidnapping Attempt

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Firestarter: Official Clip - I Don't Want to Hurt Anyone

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Firestarter: Official Clip - Burn It All Down

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Firestarter: Official Clip - Psychic Fight

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Firestarter: Official Clip - Burning the Cat

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Firestarter: Official Clip - Facing Bullies

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Firestarter: Official Clip - Fireproof Squad

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Firestarter: Official Clip - Psychic vs. Psychic

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Firestarter: Official Clip - Psychic Massacre

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Firestarter: Official Clip - Bathroom Explosion

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Synopsis

For more than a decade, parents Andy (Zac Efron; Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile; The Greatest Showman) and Vicky (Sydney Lemmon; Fear the Walking Dead, Succession) have been on the run, desperate to hide their daughter Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong; American Horror Story: Double Feature, The Tomorrow War) from a shadowy federal agency that wants to harness her unprecedented gift for creating fire into a weapon of mass destruction. Andy has taught Charlie how to defuse her power, which is triggered by anger or pain. But as Charlie turns 11, the fire becomes harder and harder to control. After an incident reveals the family's location, a mysterious operative (Michael Greyeyes; Wild Indian, Rutherford Falls) is deployed to hunt down the family and seize Charlie once and for all. Charlie has other plans.

Director: Keith Thomas
Producer: Jason Blum, Akiva Goldsman
Screenwriter: Scott Teems
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Angry Adam Productions, Blumhouse Productions, BoulderLight Pictures, Weed Road Pictures
Rating: R (Violent Content)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 13, 2022, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 13, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.3M
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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