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Firestarter

2022 · 94 min

A tense, somber chase that mixes family drama with sudden bursts of fiery violence, though it often feels muted and uneven.

Directed by
Keith Thomas
Genres
Horror, Science fiction
Tagline
Never play with fire.
Overview
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.

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Directed by
Keith Thomas
Genres
Horror, Science fiction
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
  • earneststrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • family
  • power
  • survival
  • identity
  • trauma
Places
  • small town
  • road trip
  • countryside
Era
contemporary
Audience
teen
Form
  • nonlinear
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action5
Horror5
Humour2
Realism4
Romance1
Tension6
Darkness6
Complexity4
Emotional weight6

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Cast

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