The Reel Review
A sweet, overly-sheltered misfit discovers her telekinetic powers after enduring merciless bullying from the mean girls at her high school. Summer H. Howell, Samantha Sloyan and Alison Thornton star in this TV series from Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Doctor Sleep), an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1974 debut horror novel.
Set to a backdrop of boppy pop songs and wonderful performances from both Howell (Hunter Hunter, Curse of Chucky) as Carrie and Sloyan (Midnight Mass, Grey’s Anatomy, Hush) as her domineering mother, Flanagan cleverly incorporates modern day culture – smartphones that capture every moment on social media, anonymous online bullying and feckless school administrators afraid to take action – in this modern-day take on the horror classic. The relentless bullying gets a lot more of the focus in the eight episodes, with Thornton (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce) so good as the main mean girl that you will eagerly await her ultimate demise.
Howell perfectly captures the naivete and sweetness of an overly-sheltered child – that menstrual cycle/gym shower scene is a heartbreaker – with Sloyan bringing a more layered, nuanced take on the controlling, religious fanatic mother, compared to the late Piper Laurie’s wonderfully camp performance in the original film that starred an also excellent Sissy Spacek. The more humanized characters in this series create an emotionally rich viewing experience, making it a nice compliment to the original 1976 film.
REEL FACTS
• Mike Flanagan’s next movie is The Exorcist: Martyrs, starring Scarlett Johansson, Diane Lane and John Leguizamo, which premiers in March 2027.
• Summer H. Howell had not read the novel nor seen any of the Carrie productions prior to being cast, with an impressed Stephen King himself giving his blessing to Mike Flanagan casting her.
• Mike Flanagan’s wife and frequent collaborator Kate Siegel appears in the final episode as the interrogator Adelaine. They have two children.
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