Stephen King’s Most Maligned Remake Now a Netflix Hit: “There’s still a lot to appreciate”
When it comes to Stephen King adaptations, the sheer volume available means that they can’t all be winners. Listen, I loved Netflix’s Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, adapted from King’s novella of the same name, though I likely remain the only person who feels that way. Some, like this year’s The Monkey or The Long Walk, are widely considered exceptional. Others, like musical drama The Life of Chuck, prove considerably more polarizing. Yet, one of King’s most maligned adaptations is heating up the Netflix charts. Remember 2022’s Firestarter remake? Netflix does.
Keith Thomas’ Firestarter, adapted from King’s 1980 novel, is itself a remake of Mark L. Lester’s original film starring a young and inimitable Drew Barrymore. The remake tries to frame Zac Efron as its A-list hook, though it doesn’t carry the same weight. So much so, Firestarter barely ignited a spark, flopping with critics and audiences. $15 million worldwide against a $12 million budget is bad, even for Blumhouse’s conventionally lax standards.
The Hook
With Firestarter arriving on Netflix, now’s your chance to see for yourself whether it’s a true travesty or a victim of an unforgiving year. In 2022, theaters had not yet fully recovered, and monthly slates were full of COVID casualties and big risks. Firestarter barely stood a chance, and I’d reckon it was always intended to live on streaming. The small, intimate scale didn’t lend itself well to a theatrical setting, and reception might have been warmer had it gone direct to streaming to begin with.
The hook is kind of silly, even by King’s standards. Listen, the man loves secret organizations and psychic powers, and this one has Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) on the run alongside her parents. Federal agents are desperate to contain and weaponize her pyrokinesis, a power that grows increasingly unchecked as the film goes on. There’s a soft, familial core that smooths out the rougher edges (the titular fire never looks especially great), and King’s trademark charm endures, even with some creative liberties taken with the source material. Our own Tyler Doupe´ sees value in the original, writing, “I think there’s still a lot to appreciate about this 1984 outing.”
Neither adaptation is perfect, though you can judge for yourself. The remake is currently streaming on Netflix. If you check it out, let me know your thoughts over on Twitter at @Chadiscollins or Instagram @Chadcoolins.
Categorized: Streaming News
