Firestarter
For more than a decade, parents Andy and Vicky have been on the run, desperate to hide their daughter Charlie 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 is deployed to hunt down the family and seize Charlie once and for all. Charlie has other plans.
Why it matters
A subdued Stephen King adaptation that tries to fuse family drama with supernatural thriller but struggles to ignite the pyrotechnics.
- Zac Efron’s wooden turn contrasts with Ryan Kiera Armstrong’s earnest portrayal of Charlie, whose fiery powers are the film’s emotional core.
- Lacks the spark and tension of the 1984 original or Blumhouse’s sharper recent efforts, feeling more like a TV movie than a cinematic event.
- For fans of slow-burning supernatural family stories rather than adrenaline-fueled horror or King’s more nightmarish visions.
- Practical fire effects are modest; the film leans into grounded emotional beats over spectacle, which might appeal to those craving a quieter, character-driven take.
Director
2 horror films in catalog
Cast
Horror DNA
Gore
14
Slow Burn
0
Psychological
29
Supernatural
20
Creature
18
Disturbing
33
Fun Factor
33
Cerebral
0
Survival
50
Coming of Age
