“Firestarter” (2022) is a science fiction horror film directed by Keith Thomas, which serves as a reboot of the 1984 film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The film stars Zac Efron as Andy McGee and Ryan Kiera Armstrong as his daughter, Charlie, who has the ability to start fires with her mind, a power known as pyrokinesis.
The story revolves around Charlie’s struggle to control her dangerous abilities while her parents, Andy and Vicky (played by Sydney Lemmon), try to protect her from a government agency called The Shop. This agency seeks to capture Charlie and harness her powers as a weapon. Andy, who has psychic abilities of his own, including mind control and telepathy, which he gained from a government experiment, attempts to teach Charlie how to manage her powers.
As Charlie grows older, her powers become stronger and more difficult to control, leading to increasingly dangerous situations. The Shop, led by the unscrupulous Hollister (played by Michael Greyeyes) and a former operative turned assassin, Rainbird (played by Michael Greyeyes), intensifies their pursuit of Charlie, forcing the family to flee.
The climax of the film sees Charlie captured by The Shop, and Andy makes a desperate attempt to rescue her. In a confrontation with Rainbird, Charlie unleashes her full power to protect herself and her father. The film ends with a fiery showdown, with Charlie exacting revenge on those who have wronged her and her family.
“Firestarter” (2022) was met with mixed reviews, with some praising the performances, particularly Armstrong’s portrayal of Charlie, while others criticized it for not living up to the potential of King’s source material. The film explores themes of family, government overreach, and the fear of the unknown, as seen through the lens of a young girl with extraordinary abilities