Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- irreverent
- teen movie night
- coming of age double feature
What critics said
Critics found the film witty and well performed, but considered its protagonist too arrogant and cynical for the coming-of-age drama to fully connect.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Carson's death by lightning frames his retrospective account of his final high school days.
Carson collects leverage on fellow students and blackmails them into contributing to his literary magazine.
Carson dreams of leaving his hometown for New York and the college of his choice rather than repeating his family's patterns.
Carson's literary magazine and aspiration to write for The New Yorker turn authorship into his chosen identity.
Films like Struck by Lightning, and why
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
shared teen coming-of-age setting, sardonic humor, outsider protagonist, and retrospective narration
Election
shared high school outsider perspective, witty dialogue, academic ambition, and emotional coming-of-age drama
Heathers
shared darkly comic teen perspective, social alienation, family dysfunction, and narrator-driven structure
Rushmore
shared youthful ambition, blackmail-driven comedy, and bittersweet reflection on adolescence
Movie Details
- Director
- Brian Dannelly
- Release Date
- 2013-06-19
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (221)
Cast
- Carter Jenkins
- Robbie Amell
- Chris Colfer
- Dermot Mulroney
- Sarah Hyland
- Allison Janney
- Christina Hendricks
- Graham Rogers
- Rebel Wilson
- Polly Bergen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Struck by Lightning about?
- A fiercely ambitious high school outsider weaponizes secrets to build a literary future beyond his troubled hometown, only to confront the limits of escape.
- What is Struck by Lightning like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Struck by Lightning as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Struck by Lightning violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Struck by Lightning as mild.
- What did critics think of Struck by Lightning?
- Critics found the film witty and well performed, but considered its protagonist too arrogant and cynical for the coming-of-age drama to fully connect.
- Which films are like Struck by Lightning?
- Films with a similar feel include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Election, Heathers, and Rushmore.
- How long is Struck by Lightning?
- Struck by Lightning runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Struck by Lightning?
- In United States, Struck by Lightning streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel.
