Carrie White, the telekinetic prom queen from hell, remains one of the most beloved horror icons in popular culture. She first appeared in Stephen King’s 1974 novel Carrie, and was later cemented in the public imagination by Brian De Palma’s 1976 film, which many still rank among the greatest horror movies ever made and among the best adaptations of King’s work. When Mike Flanagan agreed to helm an eight‑episode miniseries for Prime Video, he took on a daunting task, especially as the series arrived to coincide with the 50th anniversary of De Palma’s classic.
I counted myself among the skeptics who wondered whether a new Carrie miniseries was even necessary. Yet, as a devoted fan of Flanagan’s work, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. If anyone has a talent for translating horror to the screen and a particular fondness for King’s stories, it is Flanagan. And, with one major exception, he delivers. The show offers a richly layered retelling that balances themes of kindness and lost innocence with the brutal, vengeful rage that defines the source material, and it supplies plenty of the latter as well.
(There are many spoilers for the novel and the 1976 film ahead, but the new series holds its biggest surprises until after the second episode. We’ll let you know when we reach that point.)Read full article