The Top 10 Best Superpower Movies

September 21, 2020September 21, 2020 Patrick Sessoms Bradley Cooper, Bruce Willis, Chris Evans, Dane DeHaan, Gugu Mbatha Raw, Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Michael B. Jordan, Nicolas Cage, precognition, Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, super powers, superheroes, superpowers, telekinesis, telepathy

5. Chronicle

There were superpower movies before Chronicle, but since the found-footage film’s release in 2012, the number has dramatically increased. Half the films on this list were released after Chronicle hit theaters and it helped to launch the careers of Michael B. Jordan and Dane DeHaan. The movie revolves around three highschoolers who discover a strange crystal that apparently gives them telekinetic powers (telekinesis is by far the most popular ability in superpower movies). Being highschoolers, they mostly use their newfound powers for stupid stunts and pranks. However, one of them becomes a bit, shall we say, power-crazy. Seeing these new powers as a way to finally get the respect and figurative power he “deserves,” he heads down the road towards villaindom. This leads to an inevitable confrontation between good and evil. Chronicle marked a turning point for the micro-genre, making it a must-have for this list.

4. Limitless

As a writer, I would straight up murder someone for this power.

If anything has become clear over the course of 2020, it’s that intelligence is apparently a superpower. Because the powers in Project Power came from pills, it opened up a loophole for Limitless to be considered for this list of superpower movies. Bradley Cooper portrays a struggling writer heading towards rock bottom fast. That all changes when he’s given a pill called NZT that unlocks the full potential of his brain power. The results are incredible as his character discovers that brains trumps brawn any day of the week. The downside is that the pill only lasts for so long, and once you experience the world on NZT “normal” just doesn’t cut it anymore. A lot of abilities on this list are tempting, but the possibilities that come with NZT are nearly, well, limitless. I’d certainly love to give this miracle drug a try after seeing it in action, which is why I had to include Limitless.

3. Code 8

Of all the superpower movies on this list, Code 8 is the one that fans actually demanded to see made. Based on the short film, Code 8 is the brain-child of Robbie and Stephen Amell, who cut their teeth in the superhero genre by appearing in The CW’s DC series Green Arrow and The Flash. Like a lot of movies, Code 8 turned to crowdfund to get made, and over 30,000 people ended up funding the project for %1500 of its goal. The end result is an engrossing tale set in a world where people with powers are treated like second class citizens and policed by android police officers. The Amells’ characters come together when Robbie’s character seeks a way to make some quick cash to help pay for his dying mother’s medical treatment. Stephen is all too eager to welcome him into his gang of merry thieves for the score of a lifetime. With enemies lurking on both sides of the law, things quickly get out of control. I had high hopes for Code 8 and it didn’t disappoint, making it one of the best films on this list.

2. The Unbreakable Trilogy

Normally the doctor would tell him that his insurance doesn’t cover treatment for this, but David never actually needs treatment.

I was on the fence when it came to including the Unbreakable trilogy on this list of superpower movies. While Bruce Willis’ David Dunn character definitely meets the requirements in the first film and James McAvoy’s Kevin Wendell Crumb does in the second, the fact that Dunn becomes “The Overseer” in Glass hints at a costumed hero. After carefully considering the fact that The Overseer’s costume is a green poncho, I decided that it hardly counted as an actual superhero costume. Because of that, I felt like M. Night Shyamalan’s trilogy deserved a spot here. The series follows a security guard who discovers he is invulnerable to injuries, possesses super strength, and the ability to “see” the crimes of people he comes in contact with. His struggle to understand and accept his powers all boils down to the age-old adage, “With great power comes great responsibility.” The real question is what kind of person actually wants that kind of responsibility?

1. Freaks

You don’t want to mess with this little girl.

As much as I try to see every film that hits theaters, Freaks managed to sneak past me in 2019. Luckily, I got a chance to see it recently, because it’s definitely one of the best superpower movies ever made. In fact, it’s the best of them so far. Knowing in advance that this is a film about super powered individuals is a bit of a spoiler since that fact isn’t initially revealed in the beginning. Instead, it feels more like a film about a little girl growing up in a dystopian future in which she can’t leave the house for fear of what lurks beyond the front door. Freaks slowly reveals the context for her isolation as it explains that the population lives in fear of what powered individuals might do, which is why they’re all rounded up like criminals by the government. I don’t want to go into the plot too much, since part of what makes Freaks so good is all the twists and turns in it. Trust me though, it definitely deserves the top spot on this list though, and you should check it out if you get the chance.

Honorable Mention: Matilda

Not sure if they’re still making kids read Matilda in school anymore, but they really should since it’s such a great children’s story. The film is just as good as the novel, so you could just watch it instead (but seriously, make your kids read). Matilda tells the tale of the black sheep in a family of greasy dirtbags, a little girl who is not only unbelievably intelligent, but also gifted in other ways. Her passion for learning stifled by her family, she discovers that she has telekinetic abilities. Luckily, she doesn’t pull a Carrie, but she does decide to teach a few bullies some lessons with hilarious results. Matilda is a wonderful family film and since this is a list of superpower movies, I figured this flick deserved an honorable mention.

Shout-Out: Jumper

I’m going to give a shout-out to Jumper even though it’s not really all that great. The story is a bit of a mess, but it features characters that have the ability to teleport. Those with this ability are rare enough to not run into each other all too often, but common enough to warrant the existence of a secret society that wants to capture them. Why the shout-out? Well, because there aren’t a lot of films that really play with teleportation in a cool way. X2 leaps to mind, but most of the time people just use this ability to travel long distances and that’s it. Jumper shows off the combat applications of this power in some pretty cool ways. That’s reason enough for me to at least mention it on this list of superpower movies.

Dishonorable Mention: Guardians

Behold the power of Russia’s limited imagination, comrade!

Russia tried to make its own team of Avengers a couple of years ago with disastrous results. I’m usually the kind of guy who can find something positive to say about almost any movie (within reason). Guardians though is a cringy mess. Nothing in this Eastern Bloc superpower flick makes any sense from the characters to the powers to most of the plot. Guardians isn’t even one of those movies that’s so-bad-it’s-good. It’s just… Bad. Trust me, this film’s novelty is not worth wasting your time over.

Those are my picks for the best superpower movies so far. The micro-genre has been picking up recently, and a lot of the really good films in it don’t get the attention or recognition they deserve. If you know of any great ones I missed, leave me a comment below. I’ll also be updating this list as more superpower movies are released. So, be sure to check back from time to time in order to see how the rankings might change.

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