Struck by Lightning
Tribeca Film | Release Date: January 11, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
41
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
9
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
67
Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumJan 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. Read full review
60
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzJan 10, 2013
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
58
The A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonJan 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. Read full review
50
New York PostSara StewartJan 10, 2013
There's also a refreshing lack of wrapping everything up in a neat, happy bow at the end. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesMark OlsenJan 10, 2013
Genial and heartfelt but essentially toothless, lacking in either snark or spark. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter TraversJan 10, 2013
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 VoiceBrian MillerJan 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). Read full review
42
Film.comAmanda Mae MeynckeFeb 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. Read full review
40
The New York TimesStephen HoldenJan 10, 2013
Except for Ms. Janney's monstrous mother and an Alzheimer's-afflicted grandmother (Polly Bergen), Struck by Lightning gives its characters no dimension. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanJan 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. Read full review
20
Time OutDavid FearJan 9, 2013
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 MagazineChris CabinJan 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. Read full review
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