X
  • 2013
  • Not Rated
  • Tribeca Films
  • 1 h 30 m
  • 2013
  • Not Rated
  • Tribeca Films
  • 1 h 30 m

Summary High school senior Carson Phillips was destined for bigger things than his close-minded small town could ever offer. He was on a path to greatness, but destiny had a different plan when he was suddenly killed by a bolt of lightning in his school parking lot. Demonstrating that life is what happens while you’re busy planning your future,...

Directed By: Brian Dannelly

Written By: Chris Colfer

  • 2013
  • Not Rated
  • Tribeca Films
  • 1 h 30 m
  • 2013
  • Not Rated
  • Tribeca Films
  • 1 h 30 m

Struck by Lightning

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 12 Critic Reviews
41
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 22 User Ratings
6.5
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

Summary High school senior Carson Phillips was destined for bigger things than his close-minded small town could ever offer. He was on a path to greatness, but destiny had a different plan when he was suddenly killed by a bolt of lightning in his school parking lot. Demonstrating that life is what happens while you’re busy planning your future,...

Directed By: Brian Dannelly

Written By: Chris Colfer

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 12 Critic Reviews
41
8% Positive
1 Review
75% Mixed
9 Reviews
17% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 12 Critic Reviews
41
8% Positive
1 Review
75% Mixed
9 Reviews
17% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
67
Jan 9, 2013
Struck by Lightning sticks to generic character sketches of high school student types - the jock, the goth, the cheerleader, etc. - and gives Carson the best lines. In between, some charming, buzzy talents pitch in on this short little lark.
By Lisa Schwarzbaum FULL REVIEW
58
Jan 9, 2013
Lightning is a funny, fast-moving movie, packed with barbed one-liners, goofy hyperbole, and all the oversized exasperation of teen angst. But it's too acid, particularly where Colfer is concerned.
By Tasha Robinson FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 22 User Ratings
6.5
55% Positive
12 Ratings
27% Mixed
6 Ratings
18% Negative
4 Ratings

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 22 User Ratings
6.5
55% Positive
12 Ratings
27% Mixed
6 Ratings
18% Negative
4 Ratings

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
10
Venergroup
Feb 23, 2013
You can't help but like Chris Colfer as Carson Phillips. Great supporting cast. Kind of a dark theme, but it works. Very enjoyable. Saw it with my teenage daughter and she was nuts about the movie, she can't wait to get the DVD.
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9
beatleslove
Sep 5, 2013
I loved this movie. Great acting, great screenplay. This is Chris' first screenplay, and the wittiness and flow of the movie really surprised me. Everything was well thought out and entertaining. He is a pro already. I can't wait to see what he has in store for the years to come! Also, having Rebel Wilson in any movie makes it worth watching!
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50
Jan 10, 2013
Genial and heartfelt but essentially toothless, lacking in either snark or spark.
FULL REVIEW
50
Jan 8, 2013
Struck by Lightning means well, but its gentle dissection of high school cliques brings nothing new to the genre, except the fact that being out isn't the problem for the hero, Carson (Colfer).
FULL REVIEW
42
Feb 27, 2013
Struck by Lightning may appeal to fans of Colfer’s work on “Glee,” but as a film it’s utterly lacking in scope, depth or meaning beyond an immediate chuckle or two.
FULL REVIEW
40
Jan 10, 2013
One can't blame Colfer for wanting to expand his range, but he's created a character who is neither hero nor villain, in a black comedy that is neither dark nor funny enough.
By Elizabeth Weitzman FULL REVIEW
0
Jan 8, 2013
A class-five pity party so unbearably condescending and unconvincing that it might just make you run out and buy an "I'm With Mitt" t-shirt, it makes an inadvertent but hugely compelling pro-bullying argument.
FULL REVIEW
See All 12 Critic Reviews
8
ryu9376
Feb 1, 2019
Damn... this movie was really, really good. Never heard of the young man Chris Colfer before now, but I'll be looking for him in future films... he was simply brilliant as hell in this film.
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5
wiggipop
Mar 25, 2013
A strange sort of film. A smart, left-of-centre high school story like Detention, which, although not without it's own faults, was actually entertaining throughout. Instead, here we get earnestness, moralising and a quite underwhelming story with a surprisingly generous handful of cruel twists. Allison Janney is wonderful in quite a meaty role, and Rebel Wilson and Angela Kinsey add much needed spark and humour. I find it odd however that Chris Colfer would write himself a mostly unlikable role; pompous, arrogant, and dismissive of what he could learn from others. Is he supposed to be the hero? By the end, all I could muster was, "really?".
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See All 4 User Reviews

Details

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Production Company Permut Presentations, Camellia Entertainment, Evil Media Empire, Inphenate
Release Date Jan 11, 2013
Duration 1 h 30 m
Rating Not Rated
Genres
Tagline A personal raincloud can be deadly...
View All Details

Awards

Key West Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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