Stephen King horror starring Zac Efron shoots near top of Netflix despite unwanted Rotten Tomatoes score

A Stephen King horror film is currently ranks highly on the streaming platform, though you wouldn't have predicted it from its initial reception from audiences.

Based on King's novel of the same name, it's also a remake of the 1984 film that starred Drew Barrymore.

Directed and produced by Oscar-winning Akiva Goldsman alongside the producer of the Paranormal Activity franchise, Jason Blum, it's fair to say that the film had high expectations.

Universal

The 2022 film was released in theatres and on streaming platform Peacock simultaneously to negative reviews, as critics thought that it did not live up to the original.

With a score of just 11 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, it also grossed a total of $15 million (£11.8 million) at the box office, against a budget of $12 million (£9.4 million).

But despite all of these obstacles, it has managed to rank in the top five of films on Netflix, with several viewers seemingly going out of their way to watch the sci-fi horror.

It's called Firestarter, and you can view the trailer here:

Firestarter follows 12-year-old Charlie, the child of Andy and Vicky, who took part in a clinical trial when they were younger that involved them being injected with a chemical drug that gave them supernatural powers.

Her father Andy is telepathic, while her mother Vicky has telekinesis.

Charlie is pyrokinetic, meaning she can control heat and fire, but she senses that they are getting out of control following a few outbursts.

The family are then hunted down by the Department of Scientific Intelligence, who monitor Charlie's thermal signatures.

Firestarter stars Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Charlie, Zac Efron as Andy, Sydney Lemmon as Vicky and That 70s' Show star Kurtwood Smith as the Doctor, among others.

Amidst the poor reception it received, the film managed to rank at fourth on Netflix films, with several viewers eager to see the modern Stephen King adaptation.

Universal

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Subscribers to the streaming platform have shared reviews of the film on X, with one user commenting: "It's really, really good, trust me. You should watch it when you have the time..."

Another posted: "It's been a long time since I seen the original but it was pretty decent ... It was a good watch on crave."

However, other users didn't agree.

A third commented: "It just isn't the same. The original will always be better."

A different user said: "Not sure a remake was actually needed for this one if I’m honest."

Firestarter can be streamed on Netflix now, and fans can also watch it via Amazon.