I Am Number Four (2011)
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A teenage alien on Earth must hide his identity while being hunted by a group of enemies from his home planet.
The story
John Smith is an alien from the planet Lorien who was sent to Earth as part of a group called the Garde to escape the invading Mogadorians. Protected by a guardian named Henri, John has developed various powers but must remain hidden from the Mogadorians who are searching for him. After moving to a farm in Paradise, Ohio, John tries to live a normal life while befriending a local conspiracy theorist, Sam Goode, and falling for a girl named Sarah Hart. However, the threat of his pursuers looms as the Mogadorians begin to close in on his location.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
John Smith, known as Number Four, is one of nine 'Garde' children from the planet Lorien who fled the Mogadorians. Accompanied by his guardian Henri, he hides in Paradise, Ohio, where he meets Sam Goode and falls for Sarah Hart. When a local bully's actions lead to John revealing his powers, the Mogadorians' search intensifies. After Henri is captured and killed by the Mogadorians, John and Sam must navigate a series of traps and betrayals. During a confrontation at their school, they are attacked by the Mogadorians and their bat-like creatures, the Pikens. They are saved by Number Six and a shapeshifting creature named Bernie. After defeating the Mogadorian commander, John and Number Six use their 'blue rocks' to locate the other surviving Garde. The film ends with John, Sam, Bernie, and Number Six departing to find the others and protect Earth, while Sarah and a reformed Mark remain behind.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- D. J. Caruso
- Writers
- Alfred Gough · screenplay; Miles Millar · screenplay; Marti Noxon · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Alex Pettyfer · Number Four; Timothy Olyphant · Henri; Teresa Palmer · Number Six; Dianna Agron · Sarah Hart; Callan McAuliffe · Sam Goode; Kevin Durand · Commander
- Genres
- science fiction; action
- Themes
- identity; survival; hidden powers
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- alien invasion; superhero; young adult
- Source material / true-story basis
- Lorien Legacies young adult series
- Franchise connections
- Lorien Legacies
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews but was a box-office success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 32% · scale: percentage · review count: 167; Metacritic · score: 36 · scale: 100 · review count: 30; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Teen Choice Award · winning films · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the first DreamWorks production released by Touchstone Pictures.; The production was filmed in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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