High school is hell — At least it is in Stephen King’s “Carrie.”
Horror king Mike Flanagan’s new reboot is an engrossing update of the classic story for the Gen-Z era. It honors the original, while tweaking enough details to make it fresh.
Premiering Oct. 7 on Prime Video, “Carrie” is helmed by “The Haunting of Hill House” creator, with King on board as executive producer.
The basic plot is the story we’re all familiar with.
Carrie White (Summer H. Howell) is a teen girl who grew up in seclusion, raised by her strict mother, Margaret (Samantha Sloyan). When she attends high school for the first time, the sheltered girl struggles to navigate social cues. Bullying ensues, and her telekinetic abilities start acting up.
The whole thing culminates in a prom that doesn’t go well – to say the least.
None of that is a spoiler, since “Carrie” has been a best seller since 1974, and the movie starring Sissy Spacek came out in 1976. (It also got a swiftly forgotten 2013 remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore).
The bloody prom scene in “Carrie” is as iconic in pop culture history as the “Psycho” shower scene.
Wisely, the show acknowledges it right out of the gate and doesn’t pretend the audience is ignorant about what the big climax is.
The move could have made the show predictable, but instead, it uses our knowledge to make the journey to that destination surprising and full of mounting tension.
“Carrie’s” scaffolding is familiar, but the structure and decor on top are shiny and new as the series gets a contemporary setting with social media, online message boards, and a moody Lana Del Rey soundtrack.
Whereas other “Carrie” adaptations have been 2-hour movies, the “Fall of the House of Usher” creator uses the show’s nearly 8 hours to expand the scope of this world and flesh out the side characters like Sue Snell (Siena Agudong) and mean girl Chris Hargensen (Alison Thornton).
Chris isn’t redeemed, but she gets more depth and humanity than past versions of “Carrie” have afforded her. The same can be said for Carrie’s mother.
We also spend a lot of time with various parents and school staffers, like Matthew Lillard, who shines as the increasingly harried principal.
Some of the additions might be controversial to fans of the original, such as new character Emaline (Thalia Dudek), whose role is the biggest and shakiest change.
For fans of Flanagan’s work, “Carrie” lands solidly in the middle. It may be underwhelming if you want the Gothic atmosphere and chills of “Hill House” and “Midnight Mass,” but it’s better than “The Haunting of Bly Manor” and “The Midnight Club.”
It’s most similar to “The Fall of the House of Usher,” in the sense that it shows a deep understanding of the source material, while spinning it in some different directions.
“Carrie” is a compelling, provocative modern take on the timeless tale of bullying, empathy, isolation, and revenge.
There are too many adaptations and remakes that don’t say much beyond, “Remember this? Don’t you want to throw your money at a new version?”
This show isn’t just a nostalgia cash-grab — It has a lot to say.
“Carrie” premieres October 7 on Prime Video.
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