We've seen countless superhero films in recent years - with Marvel and DC movies dominating the box office around the world - but new Netflix movie Project Power approaches the genre in rather a different way.

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The film revolves around a new pill that, when taken, will give the user super powers for five minutes - and given how many of those pills are taken during the film, we see plenty of different powers on display, all of which have been developed from characteristics of animals.

And of course, the powers don't make those who use them invincible by any means - and even for those lucky enough to exhibit a power that doesn’t automatically kill them, there are real consequences.

Read on for a guide to the powers we see in the movie.

Art's power

In a scene that sees Art and Robin discuss the pill, Art explains that he was one of the subjects originally tested for the pill and that he took it once but that it had huge repercussions and so he swore never to indulge again.

JAMIE FOXX as ART in PROJECT POWER
Netflix

Later we learn that his power has similarities to an attack from a pistol shrimp - the most powerful animal on the planet, which, according to Art, "hit you so fast it vaporises the water around it, 800 degrees hotter than the surface of the sun."

He continues that "the shock waves rips the flesh right off the bone, and when it's all over it's just Mr Shrimp sitting there, eating anything that's left."

Later in a climactic moment, we see Art's power in action - and it's every bit as dramatic as the above description suggests.

Invisibility

Invisibility is a power we've seen many times before on-screen - and is a common answer when asking what someone's ideal power would be. In the film, a user who gets this power doesn't actually become fully invisible per se, instead they obtain the ability to camouflage oneself, which essentially comes to the same thing.

Bulletproof

We often see Frank (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) becoming bulletproof when he takes a pill, and while this means that he won't be killed when shot at it doesn't mean there is no impact at all - he develops a hide thick enough to stop a bullet to the head, but it leaves him momentarily unconscious and bruised.

Fireball

Newt, a character we encounter early in the film, can turn himself into a human fireball - that leads to an enjoyable early action sequence. And as we find out there are huge repercussions to this power as well - it leaves him seriously burned and scarred.

What other powers are there?

There are some other powers we also see throughout the film, though which are explored in less depth, including elasticity, thermoregulation, super strength, and super speed - we see a newspaper article that claims a man was able to run at 45MPH, outrunning a police car in the process.

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Project Power arrives on Netflix on Friday 14th August. Check out our lists of the best TV shows on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide

Authors

Patrick Cremona, RadioTimes.com's senior film writer looking at the camera and smiling
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.

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