15 Best Movies about Superpowers

Movies featuring superpowers typically blend action and fantasy, captivating audiences of all ages, spanning from children to adults. These superpowers can be inherited, given, or acquired through various means. Individuals who possess these abilities have the choice to use them for good or evil purposes.

If you are interested in watching movies that center on superhuman abilities, Showpoiler is here to provide you the recommendations. Read on to find out the reviews below!

1. Carrie

Carrie (Sissy Spacek) is an introverted girl who is constantly bullied at school. The climax of the story occurs when Carrie has her first period, causing her to react with shock and hysterics when witnessing her own menstrual blood.

Carrie not only faces pressure at school but also at home, where she lives with her religious and conservative mother, Margaret White (Piper Laurie). Margaret, an extremist in her religious beliefs, often makes Carrie accept teachings that go beyond acceptable boundaries.

Carrie's life changes when Tommy Ross (William Katt), a popular boy at her school, invites her to accompany him to the prom. The prom goes smoothly, with Carrie and Tommy being crowned king and queen for the night.

However, chaos occurs when Margaret, who is strongly opposed to Carrie attending the dance, arrives and splashes Carrie's body with pig's blood. In a state of anger and shock, Carrie finally unleashes her hidden telekinetic powers.

2. Limitless

Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) finds himself stumbling on the edge of destruction. His writing career has stagnated, and he's just been dumped by his girlfriend.

Amidst the chaos, Eddie meets his brother-in-law, Vernon (Johnny Withworth), in an encounter that unexpectedly changes the course of Eddie's life. Vernon introduces him to NZT, a drug that is believed to increase brain function by 100%.

Once Eddie started taking NZT, his life was dramatically transformed. He finishes his books at an incredible speed, easily gains proficiency in multiple foreign languages, and becomes a successful player in the stock market.

As Eddie's happiness expands, his ex-girlfriend returns to his side. However, easy pleasures always come at a price. Many people seek to exploit Eddie for their own gain, including Carl Van Loon (Robert De Niro), a businessman with whom Eddie is in a partnership. In addition, Eddie is also chased by the police and a group of criminals who have the same goal as Carl.

3. Unbreakable

Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta type 1, a condition that makes him extremely fragile and prone to fractures. Due to his physical vulnerability, Elijah is unable to engage in heavy activities and prefers to pursue a career as an artist.

Due to his fragile condition, Elijah becomes fixated on the existence of a superhuman colleague who possesses extraordinary strength and immunity to pain.

Meanwhile, David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is a security guard who miraculously survived the Eastrail 177 train crash unscathed, without experiencing any pain or injury. His extraordinary condition is the subject of intrigue and speculation.

Eventually, David received an invitation from Elijah, which led to a long-awaited meeting. Elijah attempted to convince David that he possessed superhuman abilities and was, in fact, a bona fide superhero.

Despite his initial skepticism, David slowly realizes his own uniqueness. He discovers his power to understand the evil thoughts harbored by those around him.

Elijah keeps trying to convince David that together they can form an invincible "superhero" alliance. However, a shocking discovery is made when it is revealed that Elijah masterminded major disasters, including the Eastrail 177 incident, in an attempt to find the extraordinary being that he has long dreamed of.

4. Chronicles

Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan) leads a lonely life at school, and is often bullied. At home, he has to deal with his alcoholic father (Michael Kelly) and also take care of his mother (Bo Petersen) who is battling cancer.

The only person who cares about Andrew is his cousin, Matt Garetty (Alex Russell), who often accompanies him to school. One day, Matt takes Andrew to a party to help him socialize.

Unexpectedly, a popular student at school named Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan) asks them to research something he found in the nearby forest. Steve finds a strange tunnel-like hole that makes a loud noise.

When they enter the hole, they find a large blue crystal-like object. Andrew, armed with a camera, tried to record the mysterious discovery.

Strangely, as time passed, the object turned red and released energy that caused dizziness and nosebleeds among the three friends. Soon after the incident, they realize that they have developed telekinesis abilities.

The conflict rises when Andrew finds himself unable to afford his mother's medicine. Being overwhelmed, he loses control and uses his newfound powers to commit criminal activities.

5. Wanted

Unlike the characters with superpowers, "Wanted" introduces a superhuman protagonist who achieves extraordinary abilities through hard work and training. Wesley (James McAvoy) is an ordinary man who experiences mistreatment by his boss at work, while also experiencing betrayal from his girlfriend during work.

Wesley's life takes an unexpected turn when he meets a mysterious woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie). Fox reveals information previously unknown to Wesley: that his late father was once a skilled professional killer.

Despite having no particular skills, Wesley is recruited by the organization that once employed his father. Under the guidance of a mentor named Sloan (Morgan Freeman), Wesley undergoes intensive training to become "super" like his father.

6. Lucy

In this movie, the protagonist undergoes a drug-induced superhuman transformation. She is forced to swallow a drug that gives her extraordinary abilities. Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) is a college student studying in Taipei, has no idea that her boyfriend, Richard (Pilou Asbæk), is actually a drug dealer working for a Korean drug kingpin named Mr. Jang (Choi Min-sik).

One day, Lucy is assigned to deliver a suitcase to Mr. Jang, unaware that it contains a highly valuable synthetic drug called CPH4. At the same time, Lucy witnesses Richard being murdered, and she herself is kidnapped. She is then forced to carry the package of drugs in her stomach to be shipped to Europe.

As a consequence of the drugs inside her body, Lucy undergoes a sudden and remarkable transformation, acquiring superpowers that include telepathy, telekinesis, and time manipulation.

Utilizing her new abilities, Lucy gains the power to travel vast distances instantly. She eventually uses her unexpected powers to confront a drug kingpin and his minions, who have been exploiting her.

7. Solace

While investigating a series of serial murders, two FBI agents, Joe (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Katherine (Abbie Cornish), hit a dead end in their investigation. Eventually, they meet an old acquaintance, Dr. John Clancy (Anthony Hopkins), who has the ability to see the future and the past.

John is initially hesitant to get involved, living in solitude, burdened by the loss of his daughter and the collapse of his marriage. However, he eventually agrees to help them.

As the murders continue, with each victim fatally stabbed in the back of the neck in the spine, Dr. John sees that this case is far from ordinary. The serial killers seem to possess extraordinary powers, which allow them to carry out their murders with precision and avoid detection with ease.

8. Transcendence

Will Caster (Johnny Depp) is a renowned researcher who specializes in artificial intelligence. Driven by his fascination with technology, he aspires to create an advanced entity that has human-like emotions.

Caster claims that his latest invention has unparalleled capabilities and a collective intelligence that surpasses that of humans. However, Caster's ambitions encounter strongly opposed by anti-technology groups, who will do everything to stop his project. In a tragic incident, Caster was shot and left for dead by the group.

In a desperate attempt to save Caster, his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) and his close friend Max (Paul Bettany) connect Caster's neural contents to the advanced computer technology he has developed.

However, this attempt proves to be far more dangerous for humanity, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences that endanger the survival of the world.

9. Red Lights

The paranormal phenomenon is not only found in Asia; even in the United States, the existence of the paranormal is still a matter of debate. The issue is raised in Red Lights, a movie about superpowers that has a rather complicated storyline compared to similar movies.

Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) is a professor specializing in the study of the paranormal, supported by her physicist assistant, Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy).

Together, they conduct extensive research to investigate paranormal phenomena, which aims to determine whether clairvoyance, paranormal abilities, and magical occurrences are genuine or just illusions.

Due to their work, Margaret became hated by many psychics in the United States, especially since she managed to expose several individuals who were cheating by posing as psychics.

On her journey, Margaret meets Simon Silver (Robert De Niro), a famous former psychic who has the ability to read minds and cure diseases. Simon's impressive track record interests Tom, leading him to look deeper into Simon's abilities. However, Margaret opposes Tom's curiosity.

As the investigation progresses, Margaret still cannot forget her hurt that Simon once toyed with the spirit of her son who was in a coma. One day, Margaret is found dead under mysterious circumstances, fueling Tom's suspicions of Simon. He becomes increasingly interested in the mysterious figure who becomes Margaret's main enemy.

10. Brightburn

Kyle Breyer (David Denman) and Tori Breyer (Elizabeth Banks), a married couple yearning for a child, find a mysterious baby abandoned in the woods. With great excitement, they decide to adopt the baby boy and name him Brandon.

As Brandon (Jackson A. Dunn) grows into a teenager, he undergoes a transformation that sets him apart from his friends. He speaks an unknown language and has incredible strength. Fearing for her son's safety, Tori becomes increasingly worried when Brandon begins terrorizing those around him. The question arises: what will happen to Brandon?

Brightburn is a movie that challenges our perception of superheroes, joining the current trend of Anti Hero movies. At first, we are reminded of the iconic figure of Superman, but our perception changes drastically as we witness Brandon's transformation into a dark and ominous character.

Brandon seems determined to subvert the conventional image of superheroes. Nonetheless, we are mesmerized by the stunning visual effects that depict his superpowers, ranging from incredible speed to subtle displays of telekinesis.

11. Push

The Division is an American organization that trains people who are believed to have superhuman abilities. These people are given intensive training with the purpose of turning them into unstoppable soldiers. Unfortunately, the mission was not used to make peace in the world.

Nick Gant (Chris Evans) is the son of a former member of The Division. His father chose to leave the organization, but his life was taken because The Division does not allow its members to leave under any circumstances.

To protect himself, Nick, who also possesses superpowers, escapes to Hong Kong. It is there that he meets Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning), a teenager gifted with the ability to see the future. With a common goal, Nick and Cassie embark on a quest to find Kira (Camilla Belle), a person groomed by The Division whose existence is a threat to global peace.

12. I'm Number Four

Having superpowers doesn't always bring happiness to those who have them. This is especially true for John Smith (Alex Pettyfer). John is one of nine babies from another planet who are stranded on Earth. These babies have extraordinary abilities that exceed those of ordinary humans.

These nine babies are always in danger, as they can be targeted and killed at any time. In addition, their deaths must occur in a specific order, starting with the first child, followed by the second, third, and so on.

John, known as the fourth child, has witnessed the deaths of three previous babies. Despite his extraordinary strength, he had to spend his teenage years in constant evasion, always on the run to avoid being hunted.

However, everything changed when John met a girl named Sarah Hart (Dianna Agron). John falls in love with Sarah and is determined to break free from a life on the run. This newfound determination empowers John to take on anyone who threatens to take his life, determined to forge his own path and protect those he cares about.

13. Jumper

David Rice (Hayden Christensen) has had a very tough life, even at his young age. His mother left him when he was just five years old, and his relationship with his alcoholic father is not in a good term.

While David has a crush on a girl named Millie Harris (Rachel Bilson) at school, he buys a miniature Eiffel Tower encased in a glass ball as a gift for her. Unfortunately, one of his friends throws the miniature into the river, making David dive in to retrieve it.

As he falls into the freezing river, an unconscious David unleashes a force that takes him to a library. It was at this moment that David discovered his ability to teleport, which allowed him to instantly transport to any desired location.

David began using his teleportation powers to visit New York and commit bank robberies. However, his daring actions attracted the attention of certain groups who were trying to exploit his powers. Now his life and the people he cares about are at stake.

14. The Percy Jackson Series

When Zeus (Sean Bean) discovers that his lightning bolt has been stolen, he suspects Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), the son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd), is responsible for the theft.

Poseidon attempted to defend Percy, explaining that his son was unaware of his true identity as a demigod. However, Zeus strongly accused Percy and warned that if the lightning bolt was not returned immediately, he would start a war between the gods.

Prior to these events, Percy Jackson had lived an ordinary life as a 16-year-old teenager, struggling with dyslexia. However, Percy had the unique ability to stay underwater for long periods of time.

One day, Percy is attacked by a huge bull, who asks him to hand over Zeus' lightning bolt. The bull also kidnaps Percy's mother, Sally (Catherine Keener). Despite feeling confused, Percy is forced to face the situation and slowly reveals his true identity.

Accompanied by his best friend, Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), Percy begins a journey to a training camp for young demigods. It is there that they receive instructions to utilize their powers to the fullest. Thus, Percy's mission to save his mother and return Zeus' thunderbolt begins.

15. The Covenant

For fantasy movie lovers like the Twilight Saga, The Covenant offers an interesting viewing experience. With a unique storyline and impressive performances from its young cast, this movie aims to captivate its audience.

The Covenant revolves around five families of witches living in the year 1692. In order to coexist peacefully with humans, they hide their magical powers. Unfortunately, one of the families betrays this secret, which causes them to be expelled from their homeland.

Centuries later, the descendants of the four remaining wizard families inherited their extraordinary abilities. Four handsome young men passed on the ancestral knowledge and possessed different powers, blending in with the ordinary human population while still hiding their super abilities.

Despite their differences from ordinary humans, they experience the same range of emotions and engage in love and social interaction. However, conflict arises when one of them carelessly uses their powers, endangering their secret. The four young men accuse each other, especially when the power causes one of the humans to die.

In short, "The Covenant" presents an interesting blend of the "Good versus Evil" formula with characters who have interesting abilities that entertain and hold the audience's attention.

If you've got an interesting superpower-themed movie recommendation that hasn't been mentioned above, feel free to share it in the comments section!