Before we get to this Carrie 2024 review we need to take a look back.
In 1976, Brian De Palma adapted Stephen King’s debut novel and created one of the defining horror films of its era. Carrie was a monster hit precisely because it was more than a teen horror film. It had an actual plot, genuine social commentary, and real psychological weight. Sissy Spacek’s performance as the lonely, bullied outsider with terrifying psychic powers remains one of the great screen performances in horror history. Piper Laurie as her cruel, fanatically religious mother earned an Oscar nomination. The prom scene is still devastating nearly fifty years later.
Prime Video’s Carrie 2024 updates the story for the social media age and the modernisation is smart. This is a world where humiliation goes viral, cruelty has an audience of thousands, and a girl like Carrie has nowhere to hide.
Carrie 2024 Review – A New Carrie for a New Era
Summer H. Howell steps into the role of Carrie, a gentle-spirited girl who is new in town, starting at a new school, and carrying more than any teenager should have to bear. Her father is dead, but she sees his face constantly. Her mother has telekinetic powers of her own, a lineage the series connects to historical accusations of witchcraft, and she uses them not to protect her daughter but to deliver hateful life lessons to a girl who deserves none of it.
The cruelty arrives quickly. Carrie gets her first period in the girls’ locker room. She knows nothing about menstruation. The girls attack her, throwing tampons and abuse. It is uncomfortable to watch and completely intentional.
One girl breaks from the pack and befriends her, offering to take Carrie to a party under her protection. Carrie has never been to one. At home, rocks fall on the roof out of nowhere. She dreams about a school shooter. Her class has just been drilled on what to do if one arrives.
The original Carrie asked how much a person can take before they break. Set against the backdrop of social media pile-ons, viral humiliation, and active shooter drills, the question feels more urgent than ever.
We know it is not going to be pretty when she reaches the end of that rope.
Carrie streams on Prime Video from October 1.
About the Original
The 1976 Carrie was directed by Brian De Palma and based on Stephen King’s first published novel. It starred Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, both of whom received Academy Award nominations. The film was made on a budget of approximately 1.8 million dollars and grossed over 33 million dollars worldwide. It remains one of the most influential horror films ever made and is widely credited with establishing Stephen King as a cultural force.
Before You Watch: The Original Carrie
- Sissy Spacek was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She was 26 years old playing a teenager and utterly convincing.
- Piper Laurie was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Two Oscar nominations from one horror film was virtually unheard of at the time.
- Carrie was Stephen King’s first published novel. He nearly threw the manuscript in the bin. His wife Tabitha retrieved it and told him to finish it.
- Made on a budget of 1.8 million dollars, it grossed over 33 million worldwide and is one of the most profitable horror films of its decade.
- The prom scene remains one of the most iconic moments in horror cinema. See it before you watch the series.
