The automatic response to news that a stone-cold classic of any genre is being remade is “Why?” In a letter to critics, Mike Flanagan, creator of the new TV series Carrie, promises that this was the first question he asked himself when approached about the project. Why mess with perfection—in this case, Brian De Palma’s horror film, based on Stephen King’s debut novel about a telekinetic teen, which has been shocking audiences for half a century and has nearly eclipsed the book in cultural influence? But this question is far less necessary than usual. Why remake Carrie, a story of teenage bullying, alienation, and the vengeful violence they can fuel, for the modern age? Honey, look around! We have the internet now. We’ve taken teenage bullying, alienation, and the vengeful violence they fuel to levels De Palma and King, with all their celebrated capacity for darkness, could never have imagined! These days, to use a phrase popular among the very youth we’re talking about, we’re Carriemaxxing. The question isn’t why remake it, but why it has taken so long.
De Palma’s masterpiece is lean and mean, taking just 98 minutes to go from opening credits to a high-school massacre. Flanagan’s is an eight-hour series (and there are already signs of seeds being sown for a second season), so much more plot and character have been added. But the new Carrie hasn’t fallen victim to the streamer’s curse of bloating. Almost everything and everyone is there for a reason, and if the whole plays more like a teen drama with extra bite than a straight-up, blood-soaked horror event, that’s fine when the former is clearly what it was designed to be. It’s also kinder than the film—perhaps intentionally, perhaps as a byproduct of having to flesh out the “baddies,” who can’t remain elemental villains over such a long period if we’re to stay interested in the story and their fates—but again, in an increasingly unforgiving world, this feels welcome and right.
The new Carrie starts by paying due homage. It opens with the high school gym on fire and frantic 911 calls playing over scenes of the inferno as it consumes the rest of the school and then spreads through the town. The calls segue into reports of 200 deaths, and the flames fade into interviews with survivors and students who knew Carrie. “Shy,” one calls her. “A bully,” says another. “A victim.” “Quiet … genuinely kind.” “A monster.”
We then spool backward and get our introduction to Carrie (Summer H Howell) herself. She is found hiding in the “prayer closet” with her mother Margaret (Samantha Sloyan) as the police enter their home. Carrie’s father has been killed at work. None of his co-workers knew he had a family. Carrie has been home-schooled and never allowed past the garden walls, but she is not the terrified, damaged figure we expect. She is—heartbreakingly, given what is to come—open, curious, and eager to experience whatever this new life without a father, in which she must go to school and Margaret to work, has to offer. Howell does a wonderful job of playing an essentially good and optimistic character who could easily have become more Anne of Green Gables with PMS than a potential hell-raiser driven beyond endurance.
Nor is Margaret the religious zealot of the film or its source material. Conservative Christianity is definitely her thing, and she has evidently been influenced by her beloved husband’s controlling character and conspiracist bent, but in Flanagan’s version (and the mesmerizing Sloyan brings out every note), this is mixed with real and profound love and fear for her daughter’s safety. She is forced out into the world at the same time as Carrie.The series explores the effects on her with the same care and near-tenderness it gives her daughter’s, making the whole endeavor noticeably richer and more compelling. Similarly, Carrie’s chief tormentor, Chris (Alison Thornton), is given reasons—not excuses—for her growing cruelty. Sue (Siena Agudong) struggles with her conscience from the start, and the dynamics between them, Carrie, and the other friends and followers are well drawn. But the bullying is the main event. The supernatural powers it unleashes aren’t exactly an afterthought, but they do take a back seat—especially in the early episodes—to the horrors Chris and her gang inflict on the new girl. The famous shower scene is, of course, filmed on phones and ends up online through a malicious Gossip Girl-style account, and countless other cruelties pile up in the same way. This Carrie doesn’t have the raw power of the film, of course. But it has intelligence, wit, and something to say about the boundless capacity for good and evil in the teenage heart—and how impossible it is to teach them which way to go. Carrie is on Prime Video now.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the review of Carrie
Beginner Questions
What is Carrie about
It is a horror story about a shy teenage girl with a strict religious mother who discovers she has telekinetic powers She uses them to get revenge after being bullied at school
Is this a remake or a sequel
The 2013 version is a remake of the classic 1976 film Both are based on Stephen Kings first novel
Who plays Carrie in this version
Chlo Grace Moretz plays Carrie White
Who plays her mother
Julianne Moore plays Margaret White the fanatically religious mother
Do I need to watch the old movie first
No You can watch this version without seeing the 1976 original It tells the same story
Is it scary
It is more of a psychological horror and drama than a jumpscare movie The ending is violent and bloody
Advanced Questions
Why does the review call her a teenage hellraiser
This term usually refers to a rebellious teen In this context it refers to Carrie finally fighting back against her abusers using her powers rather than just being a victim
Why is the timing of this return important
The review suggests the story feels relevant now because of current conversations about bullying mental health and women standing up for themselves
How does this version differ from the 1976 original
This version follows the book more closely in some parts It also uses modern technology like smartphones and social media to show how the bullying happens
What is the main theme of the movie
The main themes are the dangers of religious extremism the trauma of bullying and the bond between mother and daughter
Is the blood scene at the prom in this version
Yes The famous scene where Carrie is drenched in pigs blood is the climax of the movie
Practical Tips Common Problems
Is the movie very gory
It has some violence but it is not a slasher film with nonstop gore The violence is mostly concentrated at the end
