Struck by LightningMovie Reviews

So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 41 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
14 OK for kids 14+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 67
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    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. Read full review

  • 60
    Arizona Republic | Bill Goodykoontz

    While the good outweigh the bad, it's a close race. But what is good, particularly a heartbreaking performance by Allison Janney, is really good, enough so that Colfer emerges as a talent worth watching on the page, not just on the screen. Read full review

  • 50
    New York Post | Sara Stewart

    There's also a refreshing lack of wrapping everything up in a neat, happy bow at the end. Read full review

  • 50
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    In his screenwriting debut, Glee's gifted Chris Colfer, 22, proves he can lace a line with sass and soul. The downside of Struck by Lightning, besides the fact that Colfer's character, Carson Phillips, is struck dead in the first scene, is that Colfer hands himself all the best lines. Read full review

  • 50
    Village Voice |

    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). Read full review

  • 50
    Los Angeles Times |

    Genial and heartfelt but essentially toothless, lacking in either snark or spark. Read full review

  • 42
    Film.com |

    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. Read full review

  • 40
    New York Daily News | Elizabeth Weitzman

    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. Read full review

  • 20
    Time Out New York | David Fear

    Then observe as all but the hard-core Colferphiles slink out embarrassed, feeling as confused and discombobulated as if they too just took an electric bolt to the brain. Read full review

  • 0
    Slant Magazine |

    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. Read full review

View more reviews for Struck by Lightning on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says OK for kids 14+ Edgy high school comedy from Glee star has some iffy stuff.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Struck by Lightning is a high school dramedy that will appeal to many tweens and teens thanks to star Chris Colfer (Glee), who also wrote the screenplay (which he also adapted into a book) and produced. As the title suggests, the protagonist is literally struck by lightning and tells his story from beyond the grave. Other than that, there's not much violence, but there is some sexuality (two teen guys are secretly fooling around in the boys' bathroom, and a cheerleader is having an affair with the football coach), language ("s--t," "a--hole," etc.), and substance use (a mother is addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs). The themes could spur conversation about life in (and after) high school, not following the herd, and finding your voice in the crowd.
  • Families can talk about how Struck by Lightning features a posthumous narrator. Does knowing a character is dead right from the beginning ruin the movie for you?
  • Do stereotypical cliques continue to dominate high school environments in real life as they do in the movie?
  • How does Carson's death affect those around him, even the people who didn't like him or treat him well when he was alive?
  • Are the teen characters realistic? What about their choices/behavior?
The good stuff
  • message true2 Positive messages: Aside from the key blackmail aspect of the story, there are actually several positive messages: asserting your independence in high school, being confident in your ambition, and doing what you need to do to succeed beyond high school. 
  • rolemodels true1 Positive role models: Even though Carson is smart and ambitious, he also alienates his classmates and doesn't think twice about blackmailing his rivals to do what he wants. Still, he makes it clear that he's not going to suppress his opinions or go with the crowd just because it's what people expect. He's opinionated and broader-minded than anyone else in the movie. Malerie is a loyal, unconditional best friend to Carson. She always looks on the up side of things.
What to watch for
  • violence false2 Violence: The movie begins and ends with the death of the main character, who is -- as the title makes clear -- struck by lightning. His dead body is briefly shown.
  • sex false3 Sexy stuff: Two high-school guys are caught fooling around in a bathroom stall (they're shown fixing their rumpled clothes), and the captain of the cheerleading team has sex with the coach of the football team (they're in an office and start kissing passionately on top of a desk). A guy mentions that he has never seen a particular sci-fi film because he "sleeps with girls" instead, and a woman and a young pregnant pharmacist discuss contraception and premarital pregnancy.
  • language false3 Language: Occasional use of "s--t," "a--hole," and "bitch," plus insults used against a couple of overweight and unpopular kids. Carson himself also insults the popular kids and their intelligence and small-town mindsets.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Carson's mother is drunk a lot and is shown drinking alcohol on a regular basis (usually wine); she's also a prescription-drug addict. Carson is on anti-depressants.
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