Firestarter Movie Review

When it is announced that a film is being remade, it is always met with a sigh and the collective community asking ‘Why’? The genre that seems to see this the most is horror. We have seen countless, pointless remakes, especially in the mid-2000s, with every popular 1980s horror villain making a return to the big screen: Freddy Kruger (2010), Michael Myers (2007 & 2009), Jason Vorhees (2009), and Leatherface (20013 & 2006) among others. I am not saying all of these films are bad, but a lot of these were done without adding any new substance or personality. Since then, we have seen a return of original horror content, with studios such as Blumhouse and A24 giving creatives a voice to tell their stories. That is not to say that all remakes are bad, if the original film left something to be desired, a remake could help re-tell that story in a way that will satisfy fans. Enter, ‘Firestarter’. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, Mark L. Lester bought the story to life in 1985, with Charlie McGee being played by Drew Barrymore. The film is now considered a cult classic, but many fans of King’s source material, myself included, felt let down by the adaptation. Now in 2022, Director Keith Thomas (The Vigil), has worked with Horror giant, Jason Blum of Blumhouse Pictures, to bring this story to the 21st century. This low-budget adaptation puts more emphasis on character, whilst giving the audience updated visuals and action to boot. Today, I will be discussing the two films, telling you why I like both. So, without further ado, let’s go.

The Visual Effects – Obviously, a film made in 2022 is going to have better visual effects than a film made in 1985. However, I am here to tell you that both films have their merit in this department. Director Keith Thomas’s vision is more focused on character here, with the effects used to elevate elements of the story without overshadowing, the drama at the center of the story. Lester’s vision of the 1985 film uses far more practical effects with the razzle, and dazzle of Charlie’s abilities on full display. For the time, this approach worked, as film studios were using amazing and ground-breaking visual effects to sell tickets, nowadays audiences have become desensitised to visual effects, as we see them so frequently, that good visual effect is now the norm. The way the visuals are used in the 2022 remake works for this iteration of the story. They are used sparingly, with Charlie’s abilities making sense in this world created, feeling real.

Charlie vs Charlie – One of the hardest things in any adaptation is finding the right actor or actress to bring a certain character to life. You have to appease the fans of the source material, whilst also making sure the performer works in the context of the film. Both the 1985 original of Firestarter and its 2022 remake do a fantastic job with the casting of Charlie (the lead). In the 1985 film, we saw a young Drew Barrymore play the character of Charlie. Barrymore was just 9 years old when she played the character, adding an untapped menace mixed with the sensibilities of a 9-year-old. It is the perfect mix and Barrymore does a great job. The 2022 remake sees Ryan Kiera Armstrong take on the character. Armstrong is a tad older than Barrymore when playing the character at 11. Armstrong is a little more menacing as Charlie. She is unpredictable and when her powers are released, downright scary. Both represent the different periods in which a character with these abilities is living in. The modern world depicted in the 2022 remake is a lot more frightening in the sense that weapons have become more powerful, and resources to track Charlie down are more abundant. Both actresses leave their own distinct marks on the character of Charlie McGee and for that reason, it is hard to choose a victor. Both are great in their own unique portrayal.

The guardian figure, Mr Andrew ‘Andy’ McGee – The protector or the guardian, is a character archetype as old as time itself. We have seen many iterations of this type of relationship in film, television, and gaming, with Joel and Ellie (The Last of Us) being the most prominent in popular culture in recent years. However, one of the best examples of this in literature or otherwise is Andy McGee’s watchful protection of his daughter Charlie McGee. The complexities of Andrew and Charlie’s relationship are very interesting and make for some of the film’s best moments in both adaptations. Andrew both loves and fears his daughter and her abilities. The constant battle of trust makes for some of the best moments in either film. Both films understand the complexities of this relationship, understanding that this is not only the emotional core of the film but the thematic crux of the narrative as well. Both films wisely put this in the forefront of the story, as the films would fail to have any emotional resolve with the audience at all. Neither film does it better than the book, but I think both do a great job of showcasing just how much Andrew cares for Charlie, and at the end of the day, abilities or not, she is still his daughter. It's quite beautiful really and remains the strongest element of both films.

Overall, both the 1985 original film and the 2022 remake of ‘Firestarter’ both have their merits and do things better than the other. They make for a very interesting back-to-back watch as well, so if you are a fan of the source material, then sit down with a big old bag of popcorn and enjoy. You are bound to find something you like here. Firestarter 2022 is now available on collector’s edition DVD and Blu-Ray from your local Sanity or online, so be sure to pick yours up today! 

Buy Firestarter on DVD or Blu-ray here!

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here