Struck by Lightning

Released Jan 11, 2013

1 hr. 24 min.

Comedy

List

33%

33 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A teen (Chris Colfer), fated to meet an electrifying end, coerces his classmates into writing for a literary magazine he started to ensure admittance to his dream college.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Peacock

Stream Now

Fandango at Home

Peacock

Prime Video

Rent Struck by Lightning on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Darcey

I honestly am in love with this movie.I find the story so unique compared to every other coming of age high school story and the characters say things that people their age would actually say instead of the usual made-up things that the writers put instead.I would definitely recommend this for almost anyone and I really do not understand why it is rated so low.A very fun watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/20/23

Full Review

biggest BVB f

I feel very ambivalent about this movie. At first glance it seemed like a typical high school movie with no content except for sex, drugs, gossip, football teams and cheerleaders with no deeper meaning. Surprisingly, the movie had more to offer than that. The problem was just the execution. The combination of superficial humor with sensitive, serious topics like burnout, depression, and death was more than out of place in my opinion. Carson's problems were not dealt with deeply enough, nor were those of his classmates. His anticipated ending further made the film less interesting and his death was treated with too much levity. I find Carson to be a very unlikeable character that I can't relate to in any way. However, there were occasional good jokes that made me smile, which made the film tolerable to watch on the whole.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Amelie S

The title seems appealing and exciting for the first time, which makes the film seem more interesting. It turned out to be a high school movie which cliched characters like you've seen many times before. The fact that the film begins with the tragic death of Carson Phillips (spoiler) made it a little more exciting. The plot was a bit boring but implemented quite funny, but it was clear that it should convey a potency. I would recommend the film for teenagers between the ages 10 and 14. Overall I think the film ist okay to watch.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Joci F

I thought the film was ok, but could have been better. I don't think it makes sense that the students let Carson blackmail them without doing anything and that Carson doesn't get any consequences. Also, the movie could have had some more exciting elements. But I still liked that the film lets you look back at his life and the film begins with the end of his life. All in all I wouldn't watch it again because it was boring.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Mara Z

The movie was different than I expected in the trailer - it was better. It was not like the normal high school movies, it also had a different ending. But you already saw the end in the beginning. This is not bad because than you looked forward to the movie. You also could feel with Carson Phillips and and hoped that he will reach his dream. But all in all struck by lightning was a bit boring. For me it was to depressive and sad.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Jette X

"Struck by Lightning" is a typical high school movie. What I like about it was the deeper meaning. The film is supposed to show that you should believe in your dreams. It is a movie that shows you the difficulties of life. It is also interesting that the film begins with the end. Carson tells his story and what happened before he died. What I do not like is that the film has no happy moment. Everything is sad. That makes it a little boring. In summary, I can say that it is a movie that you can watch and think about but I do not need to watch it again.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Brian Dannelly

Director

Chris Colfer

Carson Phillips

Allison Janney

Sheryl Phillips

Dermot Mulroney

Neal Phillips

Christina Hendricks

April

Sarah Hyland

Claire Mathews

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

77%

61%

Punching Henry

TRAILER

for Punching Henry

52%

28%

A.C.O.D.

91%

80%

Safety Not Guaranteed

19%

39%

Goats

3%

25%

Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: Gangster Squad Is Style Over Substance

View more photos

Sara Stewart

New York Post

Ultimately, it all portends a much brighter future for Colfer than for Carson.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 11, 2013

Full Review

Mark Olsen

Los Angeles Times

If only "Struck by Lightning" had a sharper, stronger perspective, it might have made more of its conceit.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 10, 2013

Full Review

Stephen Holden

New York Times

Except for Ms. Janney's monstrous mother and an Alzheimer's-afflicted grandmother (Polly Bergen), "Struck by Lightning" gives its characters no dimension.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 10, 2013

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

Brian Dannelly's direction keeps the film clean, simple. A softness to the visual tone of the film both in lighting and use of color serves as a nice balance to the harsh realities and high school!

Nov 27, 2019

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

A completely winning film, the kind of smartly written indie comedy that so rarely separates itself from the self consciously quirky pack.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 6, 2019

Full Review

Stephen Saito

Moveable Fest

Carson complains there's "nothing to do in Clover between Jamba Juices and cow tipping," but those watching it shouldn't feel the same way.

Dec 17, 2018

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

A teen (Chris Colfer), fated to meet an electrifying end, coerces his classmates into writing for a literary magazine he started to ensure admittance to his dream college.

Director: Brian Dannelly
Executive Producer: Jason Michael Berman, Chris Colfer, Glenn Rigberg, Lawrence M. Kopeikin
Screenwriter: Chris Colfer
Distributor: Tribeca Film
Production Co: Inphenate, Permut Presentations, Evil Media Empire, Camellia Entertainment
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 11, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2013

Most Popular at Home Now