Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
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.
The 2022 remake of Firestarter is a largely uninspired retread of the 1984 adaptation of Stephen King's novel. The plot is competent but derivative, hitting familiar beats without adding meaningful depth or tension. Acting is serviceable but unremarkable, with even Ryan Kiera Armstrong's lead performance feeling underdeveloped. Cinematography is flat and generic for a modern horror/thriller, lacking distinctive visual flair. Novelty is low — this is a straightforward remake that brings little new perspective or craft to the source material. The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, failing to deliver on the film's modest buildup. Overall a below-average genre entry that squanders its premise.