Many works of art, music, literature, cinema, and televisionexplore phenomena and creatures beyond the law of nature. Vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, fairies, dragons, mermaids, zombies, and ghosts are only a few of the numerous supernatural beings that have fascinated readers and audiences for many years. As for the superpowers the latter only wish they could harness, they include telekinesis, premonition, telepathy, levitation, invisibility, mind control, and naturally, spells for eternal youth and beauty.
While a good number of fantasy, action, and horror movies feature anensemble of characters with superpowers, mostly boys and men, some releases focus on particularly gifted female characters, specifically little girls and teenagers.
FromThelmatoMatildatoCarrie, these young movie characters with exceptional gifts have made a lasting impression on generations of fantasy, comedy, and horror lovers.
11Thelma (2017)
Read our review
Thelmais a Norwegian supernatural thriller directed by Joachim Trier, written by Trier and Eskil Vogt, and starring Eili Harboe, Kaya Wilkins, Henrik Rafaelsen, and Ellen Dorrit Petersen. The plot centers on Thelma, a religious girl from the country who studies Biology in Oslo and develops feelings for Anja.
Her Magic Powers
As soon as Thelma moves away from her religious environment, she starts experiencing strange seizures, and her love for Anja slowly reawakens her psychokinetic abilities. These powers started in childhood when, out of jealousy, she teleported her baby brother from his crib to the depths of a frozen lake. Now that she’s older, not only can Thelma make people disappear and self-combust, but she can also heal them and bring them back to life.
Stream it on Fubo
10Jennifer (1978)
Directed by Brice Mack,Jenniferstars Lisa Pelikan as the titular lead, Nina Foch as Mrs. Calley, and Bert Convy as Jeff Reed. The story follows an underprivileged girl on a scholarship at a prominent and exclusive boarding school who gets tormented by her peers and ignored by the headmistress.
Jennifersets herself on the path to revenge. She might hail from a modest background, but since she has the distinct ability to telepathically communicate with reptiles, she unleashes a multitude of snakes on her bullies. She even summons a giant serpent that causes the student who hurt her the most to crash her car, and then gives all remaining witnesses anterograde amnesia.
Stream it on Plex
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9Firestarter (1984)
Firestarter
Based on Stephen King’s novelof the same name,Firestarteris directed by Mark L. Lester and stars Drew Barrymore as Charlene, David Keith as Andrew, Heather Locklear as Vicky, and Martin Sheen as Captain Hollister. The plot centers on college students Andy and Vicky who, following a medical experiment, develop telepathic and mind-control powers.
“Get out of here, you bastard! I’ll burn you up! I’ll fry you!”
Vicky and Andy get married and their eight-year-old daughter, Charlie, starts displaying strong pyrokinetic and prophetic abilities, prompting a governmental faction to kidnap her to study her up-close and possibly harness her gifts.
Stream it on AMC+ or Paramount+
8The Golden Compass (2007)
The Golden Compass
The Golden Compassis a fantasy adventure movie written and directed by Chris Weitz, adapted from the novelNorthern Lightsby Philip Pullman, and starring Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua, Nicole Kidman as Marisa Coulter, and Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel. It is set in aparallel retro-futuristic universeand follows the young orphan Lyra on her mission to save her friend and other kids from an evil organization.
Lyra is an exceptionally determined, resourceful, and brave child. She possesses two contradictory magical abilities; she can convince anybody of any lie, no matter how great, and despite having no formal training, she is one of few who can read an alethiometer, a compass that points to the truthful answer to any question. Only six alethiometers exist in their world.
Stream it on Prime Video or Max
7The Babysitter (2017)
The Babysitter
The Babysitteris a dark comedy slasher directed by McG and starring Samara Weaving, Judah Lewis, Robbie Amell, and Bella Thorne. It follows Cole, a 12-year-old misfit who gets along swimmingly with Bee, his hot babysitter, until he finds out she is part of a demonic cult that wants his innocent blood.
to stay youthful, beautiful, super-strong, and popular forever, Bee has made a deal with the Devil to regularly spill innocent blood on his book while reciting a spell and has been recruiting her high-school friends into the cult.Per Dread Central, “She’s a fitting crush for any pubescent teen to obsess over and a damn intimidating force when it comes to her knockoff Necronomicon usage. Rescuing Cole when classmates strike, crazy-eyed yet still coldly composed when harvesting blood, but always deceptively – or genuinely – connected to Cole. She’s the life of McG’s bloodthirsty midnight massacre.”
Stream it on Netflix
6The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Before the popular drama seriesShadowhunterswon its numerous awards, a movie adaptation of Cassandra Clare’s book seriesThe Mortal Instrumentswas released under the titleThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Directed by Harald Zwart, it featured Lily Collins as Clary, Jamie Campbell Bower as Jace, and Lena Headey as Jocelyn.
Clary thinks she is a regular teenager before she finds out she has the ability to see supernatural creatures that are normally invisible to humans. That is because she is a shadowhunter, a part-angel demon slayer. She also has the ability to create magical runes sent to her by the angels and embed them into her body, thus giving her additional skills.
5Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Similarly, the supernatural comedy filmBuffy the Vampire Slayerwas less successful than the WB series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers. Directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, it featured Kristy Swanson as Buffy, Luke Perry as Oliver Pike, Rutger Hauer as Lothos, and Donald Sutherland as Merrick Jamison-Smythe.
Buffy is a popular cheerleader dating the captain of the basketball team, but her world is turned upside down when she meets a mysterious older man who tells her she comes from a long line of vampire slayers and then proceeds to mentor her. Buffy then discovers that she possesses exceptional physical strength and has the ability to track and kill not only vampires, but also other evil supernatural creatures.
Stream it on Max
4Frozen (2013)
The Disney animated musical fantasy filmFrozenis helmed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee and features the voices of Kristen Bell as Anna, Princess of Arendelle; Idina Menzel as her sister Elsa, Queen of Arendelle; Jonathan Groff as Kristoff, an iceman; and Josh Gad as Olaf, a sentient snowman.
Elsa possesses exceptional magical powers: she has the ability to create and manipulate both ice and snow, which she used for fun games with her sister as a child. Now that she is an adult, her powers have grown dangerous to other people, and as a result, she proceeds to isolate herself in a gigantic ice castle of her creation, unleash a long-lasting winter on Arendelle, and bring her childhood snowman to life.
Stream it on Disney+
3Matilda (1996)
Co-produced and directed by Danny DeVito,Matildais a fantasy comedymovie featuring the titular lead’s own parents as secondary villains: DeVito plays Harry Wormwood, an abusive and crooked car sales agent, and Rhea Perlman portrays Zinnia, his selfish and superficial wife. They have a six-year-old daughter named Matilda, played by the talented Mara Wilson.
Matilda isn’t a regular little girl: she is exceptionally intelligent and well-mannered, has superior math and linguistic skills, and best of all, uses her telekinetic abilities to help her friends out and punish evildoers, such as the sadistic headmistress, Miss Trunchbull.
2The Craft (1996)
Helmed by Andrew Fleming,The Craftrevolves around a group of outcast and troubled teen witches played by Robin Tunney (as Sarah Bailey), Fairuza Balk (as Nancy Downs), Neve Campbell (as Bonnie Harper), and Rachel True (as Rochelle Zimmerman). The film divided the critics but generated a strong cult following.
Sarah can provoke karmic retaliation on her offenders and cast love spells; Rochelle’s specialty is revenge spells; Bonnie has an affinity for beauty and healing enchantments; and Nancy’s unhinged powers cause her stepfather to suffer cardiac arrest, thus leaving her and her mother enough life-insurance cash to move into an opulent home.
Stream it on Paramount+
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