Powder

Jeremy Reed is born after his mother is struck by lightning while pregnant. She dies shortly after the strike, but Jeremy survives the bizarre birth. The event marks the origin of his extraordinary intellect and electromagnetic sensitivity.

Disowned by his father, Jeremy grows up isolated in the basement of his grandparents' farm. He learns everything from books and rarely leaves the property. His isolation helps him develop extraordinary intellect and a latent telepathic awareness.

Jeremy's grandfather dies of natural causes, triggering Jessie Caldwell to place him in a boys' home as a ward of the state. The move marks the start of his formal education outside the farm. It also separates him from his earlier life.

Jessie enrolls Jeremy in high school, where his intellect and unusual abilities begin to draw attention. Physics teacher Donald Ripley recognizes that Jeremy may possess powers beyond normal limits. The other students treat him as an outcast.

On a school hunting trip, John Box taunts Jeremy as a freak. Before things escalate, Jeremy inadvertently shares the deer's fear and pain with Harley Duncan, causing Harley to suffer what looks like a seizure. This incident leads Harley to distance himself from firearms.

Sheriff Doug Barnum asks Jeremy to reach his dying wife through telepathy. The wife explains that she wants to die with her wedding ring on and that her son Steven found the ring. Doug places the ring on her finger, allowing reconciliation with Steven and letting her pass peacefully.

Jeremy meets Lindsey Kelloway, who becomes a potential love interest. Lindsey's father interrupts and warns Jeremy that he can see the painful truths behind people's façades. The relationship is strained by this revelation.

Jeremy returns to the juvenile facility to pack his belongings, intending to run away to his farm. He endures taunts from John Box about his sexuality and is humiliated. The confrontation triggers his powers, culminating in a large electromagnetic pulse.

During the escalated confrontation, John Box collapses with a stopped heart. Jeremy uses an electric shock to revive him, demonstrating the dangerous reach of his abilities. The incident leaves him even more isolated and feared.

Jeremy goes back to the farm only to find his possessions removed amid probate proceedings. Jessie, Donald, and Doug urge him to come with them to find a place where he will not be feared. The moment marks a crossroads in his life between exile and acceptance.

He walks into a field where a lightning bolt strikes him, and he disappears in a blinding flash. The same electrical jolt that hits Jeremy also hits Jessie, Donald, Doug, and Harley, signaling a dramatic upheaval for everyone involved. The moment ends his current life path and hints at a dangerous, unknown future.

The film ends with the blinding flash and the others left to deal with the unexpected consequences of Jeremy's disappearance. It remains unclear whether he survived or if his powers will reappear elsewhere. The haunting question of Powder’s fate lingers.