Carrie Movie Review

Would You go to prom with Carrie?

From director Kimberly Pierce, director of cult favorites such as Boys Don't Cry and Stop-Loss, comes this film adaptation of Stephen King's spine-chilling horror classic Carrie, marking the 2nd attempt at remaking the classic 1976 Brian De Palma thriller with the same name. The plot is the same as the first two, Carrie is a shy, awkward teen living under the roof of her religious, maniacal mother. Despite her realizing her telekinetic abilities, she lives a life under the radar. Until one day, the abused 17 year old girl is pushed too far after a High School prom prank that goes terribly wrong. The quality of this film is relative. If you compare this remake to the 2002 counterpart, this movie is very well-crafted. The 2002 re-imagining was poorly-done and it's appearance did not hide the fact that it is a made-for-TV movie, with a made-for-TV budget. When compared to that adaptation, this movie is good. However, once compared to the original, it's a much different story. After watching critically reviled remakes such as Psycho (1998), The Fog (2003), The Wicker Man (2006), Halloween (2007) Prom Night (2008), Friday the 13th (2009), and A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), it became an unspoken rule to never expect modern day remakes to surpass their originals (I say 'modern day' in order to accommodate John Carpenter's 1982 classic The Thing which, of course, was a remake of the 1950's horror film The Thing from Another World). Many remakes have been above average, for instance, Zack Snyder's 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead. It may not have been as good as George Romero's classic, but it still does a good job. Carrie fits in that category best. This adaptation has a lot of things going for it. Mainly, the cast is superb. There is, of course, Chloe Grace Mortez as the iconic Carrie character, but the performance that stands out the most is that of Julianne Moore. Her portrayal of the religious nut-job Margret White very well may be the best to date. The supporting cast was satisfactory as well. From up-and-comers Portia Dobuleday and Alex Russell, to seasoned actors such as Judy Greer and the criminally under-appreciated Barry Shabaka Henley. Of course, the other main highlight of the movie is the story line. There is a reason this book has been made into a movie this many times. The plot is tragic, somewhat relatable, and the themes of bullying are as relevant in today's society as ever. Most of what I have to say about this movie is pretty positive. It is well-paced, well-scored, generally well-acted. The first three-fourths of the movie are actually pretty fun to watch. As an audience member you already know what is going to happen in the end. The blood will fall and all hell will break loose. You might think that knowing the outcome may take away from the enjoyment this movie has to offer, but it really doesn't. In fact, it gives you a sense of security that allows you to just sit back and relax. Then we reach the climax. Carrie is called up to the stage and we all know what is going to happen next. Not only is this scene important because it is the pay off to the whole movie, but it's important because it is one of the most iconic scenes in horror movie history. It's up there with The Exorcist head twirl, The Shining's "Here's Johnny", Misery's ankle crush, and Psycho's killer shower scene. It's safe to say that this scene is very crucial to how this film is generally received by audiences. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it disappoints. Once the pig's blood comes down on Carrie, you are ready for the bloody revenge she dispatches upon her tormentors. You're ready for the horror and suspense of the scene, but then you get this instead. Maybe it was too high of expectations, but the prom scene was a disappointment. For one, it was way too short. I don't really know the exact time both prom scenes were, but I wouldn't be surprised if this scene was at least 1 minute and a half to 2 minutes shorter than the original. This is the payoff to the whole movie and it felt like they just glossed over it. The other thing that made me dislike the scene was the terrible GCI. I realize that this is the 21st century, so a movie is expected to have crazy special effects which is fine, but these effects were cringe-worthy. It was disappointing. Overall, the first 3 quarters of this movie were good, but the pivotal scene of the whole film fell short, making everything after forgettable. Final Rating- B-