Brian De Palma’s 1976 “Carrie” is widely considered a perfect adaptation. Two other attempts haven’t been well received (though I plan to check them out soon, just for the heck of it). So when Stephen King whisperer Mike Flanagan announced he was going to make a “Carrie” TV series, everyone asked, “Why?” Here is the thing: I trust Mike Flanagan more than members of my family. “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Midnight Mass” are two of the best TV shows of the last decade. His adaptation of “Doctor Sleep,” Stephen King’s sequel to “The Shining,” managed to be a great sequel and make Stephen King happy (he famously hated the movie version of “The Shining.) He adapted a ton of things and made them good, while also creating something that stands on its own and isn't a slavish adaptation of the source material.When her father dies, Carrie (Summer H. Howell) is forced to leave her sheltered, religious life and start at a public school. She soon becomes the target of bullying from classmates, led by Chris Hargenson (Alison Thornton), who creates a social media account targeting her.
So why did Mike Flanagan remake “Carrie?” I think the answer is that the story is still as relevant in 2026 as it was in 1974/76, when the book/movie were released. Bullying and othering of people have just gotten worse and more sophisticated. When Chris makes the “Carrie red” account, it becomes a place for people to anonymously post all sorts of things about other students and teachers. The account explodes and causes chaos in the school- it is shocking how many school problems start outside of school in group chats and social media. “Carrie” fits perfectly into the age of social media, despite being 50 years old. The version also fleshes out the world by introducing other characters who might have powers like Carrie's, and it even leaves it open to possibly connect to other of King’s works (”Firestarter” and “The Shining most obviously). With the recent renewal for season two, it looks like the world of “Carrie” will open up even more: Falagan has a three-season plan that I hope he gets to see through.
Flanagan has a stable of actors, and a few of them show up here, but I really hope they add some first-timers to that stable, especially Howell, Thornton, and Siena Agudong, who plays Sue Snell. All three deliver exceptional performances and bring layers and complexity to these characters. Sue and Chris have been friends for years, but when Chris starts targeting Carrie, Sue has to choose between her best friend and protecting this new girl who has done nothing to deserve Chris’ torment. Chris comes from a complicated background. Her mom left her dad for someone else, and her dad focuses more on his business than on raising his daughter. None of this is used to justify her actions, but it does make her character more than just the stereotypical teenage bully. Even Carrie gets more of an arc than a sweet, innocent girl who ends up killing most of her class at prom (sorry if that is a spoiler, but it is one of the most famous moments in cinema history). You really get to see her home life and the religious, oppressive upbringing she grew up with, through her mother (Flanagan regular Samantha Sloyan).Mike Flanagan is known for horror, but that is not what he does best. Sure, his projects include horror, but it is not the focus. “The Haunting of Hill House” is first and foremost a family story; “The Haunting of Bly Manor” is a love story, and “Carrie” is a high school drama. That's what I think makes his shows/movies so good: the story comes first. Since it's October, I have been watching a lot of horror, and what separates the good ones from the great ones is that they are more than just horror movies; they are horror plus something else. I would go so far as to say that “Carrie,” in all its incarnations, isn’t horror; it is a teen drama with supernatural elements. That is why I would recommend it to even the most horror-averse people in my life.Season One of “Carrie” is on Amazon Prime