Brian De Palma’s 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s first published novel, Carrie, is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and perhaps the best King adaptation. However, its royal status hasn’t stopped filmmakers from mounting multiple remakes and sequels, and Mike Flanagan is currently developing the story as a television series. This version has the potential to revive the franchise, but it will have to avoid the one mistake that held the others back.
The antihero of the 1974 novel Carrie — a sheltered bully-magnet with telekinetic powers — even gave Stephen King the creeps. Though he almost gave up on what he considered an unpleasant, unrelatable character, she made him a star. Still, many adaptations have succumbed to the temptation to change Carrie White’s troublesome character…and none have succeeded. If Mike Flanagan stays true to King’s original vision, his courage might just pay off.
Can Mike Flanagan Succeed Where Other Reboots Have Failed?
It was first reported in October 2024 that Mike Flanagan was developing Stephen King’s Carrie into a series for Amazon. The production is set to start shooting in Vancouver, and casting is underway. Reformed bully Sue Snell will be played by Siena Agudong, and Summer H. Howell is in talks to play the lead. Though this will be the first series-length adaptation of Carrie, it will be the fifth adaptation overall — and it could be the only effective version since Brian De Palma’s Oscar-nominated hit film.
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Oscar Nominations for Carrie (1976) |
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The basic story follows Carrie White, a teenage outcast trapped between her fanatically religious mother, and her equally abusive peers. However, Carrie is experiencing a psychic awakening that will erupt into bloody revenge when her prom is disrupted by a hideous prank. Carrie’s only settings are morbid passivity, and murderous rage — and this is exactly what makes her story believable. She must be irresistible to bullies, and she must be too maladjusted to stand up for herself until it is too late.
Even Stephen King had his doubts about such an unpalatable character. In his memoir On Writing, he recalls feeling unqualified to craft convincing teenage girls, especially one who is by turns too spineless, and too reprehensibly violent.
(I) was not feeling at home with either the surroundings or my all-girl cast of supporting characters. …I never liked Carrie, that female version of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, but…I came at last to understand her a little. I pitied her and I pitied her classmates as well, because I had been one of them once upon a time.
A traditional protagonist should be more aspirational; even an underdog should have some compelling charisma. But because Stephen King had the courage to let Carrie be herself, his novel, and then Brian De Palma’s adaptation, became instant classics. The next three adaptations experimented with making Carrie more likable, to their own detriment.
Stephen King Almost Abandoned This Novel, Because of the Very Thing That Makes It Great
1999’s The Rage: Carrie 2 may not feature Carrie White herself, but its structure amounts to a revision of the King classic. Carrie’s orphaned half-sister is a tougher, pluckier character whose predictable revenge is the last resort, rather than the result of a psychotic break. The film’s chilly reception reflected its lack of originality, with the only innovation being a less complex protagonist than the one played by Sissy Spacek. However, the next Carrie adaptation shows that no lessons were learned from this sequel.
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Rotten Reviews |
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Bryan Fuller wrote 2002’s Carrie for NBC, and it was perfectly cast: Angela Bettis’s rendition of the telekinetic teen forecast her now-iconic performance in the weird-girl classic May. However, Fuller gave in to the temptation to create a more traditionally heroic Carrie, as he told Fangoria; he also added a Thelma & Louise-style ending.
(This Carrie) is a sympathetic, sweet soul who is a bit more edgy than Sissy Spacek’s Carrie. Sissy portrayed her as—I don’t want to say pathetic, but just really as a victim. Angela (Bettis) give (sic) the character such a strong core, and we…wanted to see her blossom and triumph…
Bryan Fuller and NBC had hoped this reboot would pave the way for a series, but apparently a stronger, spunkier Carrie White was not what critics craved. Still, 2013 saw the release of yet another Carrie remake, marred by many of the same problems. Chloë Grace Moretz’s version of the character is simply too poised and pretty, which may be reflective of director Kimberly Peirce’s comparison of her film to a superhero origin story. Once again, Carrie White had been inappropriately idealized.
The lesson to learn from the Carrie franchise is that the modern Strong Female Protagonist archetype is not right for every story. Stephen King’s novel participates in a tragedy tradition as old as the Universal Horror classics: Society treats its outcasts monstrously, which causes them to become monsters, making them deserving of a monster’s fate. Reforming Carrie White into a more admirable person undercuts the power of this classic narrative, and Mike Flanagan will have to avoid this pitfall if he is to revive this ailing franchise.
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Carrie
R Horror Mystery 8/10
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Sissy Spacek
Piper Laurie
Carrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.
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Carrie
Not Rated Horror Drama Sci-Fi 8/10
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Angela Bettis
Patricia Clarkson
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Carrie
R
Cast
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Judy Greer
Chloe Grace Moretz
Julianne Moore
If you haven’t heard of Carrie, you’re definitely missing out! Released in 1976, Carrie was based on a novel by Stephen King with the same name, and quickly caught the attention of fans. The movie was actually cited as an example of great book-to-movie adaptations, which is historically a pretty difficult title to achieve.
Mixing horror, the supernatural, and the terrors of high school bullying still resonates with viewers today. In fact, Carrie was one of the first popular movies in the US that drew almost directly on the negative effects, and consequences, of bullying. Carrie follows the story of Carrie White, a 16-year-old teenager who lives with her ultra-religious mother. While things at home are rough, things at school are even worse, as Carrie is mercilessly bullied by her peers. The silver lining for Carrie is the fact that she seems to possess telekinetic powers. While Carrie is afraid of her abilities at first, she soon begins to use her newfound power to take control and get revenge.
Carrie is pretty unique as a horror character because she’s highly relatable. Life is hard when you’re sixteen, and having strict parents on top of trouble at school can make things even harder. So, when Carrie has a supernatural breakdown at her high school, it’s hard to decide whether to be afraid or sympathetic.
The movie was actually remade in 2013, which also features a great cast and modernized special effects. However, we are still going to go with the classic on this one. Of course, you can always check out both!
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