Legend has it that the wife of a struggling writer pulled a manuscript about a shy girl from a trash can. That writer is Stephen King and that girl is Carrie White, the rest is history. A few years after the novel’s release, legendary director Brian De Palma frightened audiences with a film adaptation, which quickly became a cult classic. Carrie is often noted as the book that brought horror into mainstream literature while the imagery from the film remains iconic to this day. After a few abysmal modern attempts to resurrect the vengeful teen, a new series has been unleashed. Mike Flanagan, who has sent a tidal wave of terror hits across the Horror-Nation, will attempt to pour fresh pints of blood all over this classic.
After the unexpected death of her father, Carrie White is ordered to attend public high school. Leaving the tyrannical rule of her mother is both exciting and terrifying to a girl that has been locked in her home since birth. Carrie is met with both astonishment and cruelty upon her arrival. After a horrific video of the new girl goes viral, Carrie’s fragile emotional state begins to unlock her gift. Students, faculty and community members along with Carrie’s own mother start to realize that there is more than simple attire and a homely appearance to this odd young woman. More videos begin a deep descent into the secrets that both school and town hide under the cloak of modern suburbia. Carrie becomes the epicenter and diatribe of a nation obsessed with image, while others like her, watch closely from a distance. One final act of humiliation unleashes all of Carrie’s gifts…and curses.
The advantage of a television series is that there is plenty of runtime to delve deeper into the plot. Shows such as Bates Motel and Ash vs. Evil Dead gave horror fans more depth behind characters we have come to idolize through film. With much of Carrie, this is both a hit and miss throughout the eight episodes. The strong hit is the performances, with each performer playing their roles in professional outings. Summer Howell and Samantha Sloyan slay their roles as mother and daughter. Howell captures both the innocence and vengeance of Carrie. Sloyan projects Margaret White with a bold take that brings modern themes of parenthood into the fold of the legacy. Flanagan will shoulder both credit and blame for this adaptation. The series shines when following Carrie’s descent into darkness but is bleak with overindulgent sub-pots that stray from a story that fans tune in to see. It works with characters such as Chris Hargensen by showing the viewer how villains are made. It fails when stretching secondary characters into the main plot. Watching Carrie and those around her slowly discover something supernatural is where the show grasps the viewer with an invisible touch. Forcing yet another multi-verse around the story is where the show becomes a hard to watch jumbled mess. In the end, Carrie 2026 is just like a prom. Massive expectations, a fun time, but in no way leads up to the idea of something that will be remembered forever.
Scream Score: 7/10