REVIEW: Mike Flanagan gives Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’ a humane, surprisingly fresh twist

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This review contains spoilers of episodes one and two of Mike Flanagan’s ‘Carrie’.

Following up three acclaimed screen adaptations of Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck, Doctor Sleep, and Gerald’s Game, Mike Flanagan has decided to completely flip the script in this new TV adaption of Carrie, just in time for spooky season. 

After four major adaptations of King’s 1974 novel, you might be wondering (as I did) what could we possibly still need a fifth version of Carrie for? But like me, you might be pleasantly surprised by Flanagan’s new series that’s bringing a refreshed, humane look into the beloved novel. 

From Brian De Palma’s 1976 version of the horror novel which received two Academy Award nominations and a 94 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, to a musical version in 1988, to Kimberly Peirce’s modern take in 2013, Carrie’s story is already more than well-known by the horror and thriller lovers out there. However, Flanagan’s version still had me craving more and even wondering what happens next. 

The two first episodes of a new miniseries led by the American filmmaker premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 18, followed by a Q&A with the director and main cast. As mentioned, the new Carrie is an adaptation of the 1974 Stephen King novel, which follows the story of Carrie White, an odd and isolated teenager who gets constantly bullied at school and seeks revenge using her telekinetic powers. 

Although the original tale was released over 50 years ago, Flanagan’s Carrie takes a modern twist, setting the story in present day Maine, as the director hopes to dive deeper into not only Carrie but other characters surrounding the story, showing what’s behind all their kindest and most cruel actions, even those deemed inexcusable. 

Episode 1

Guiding the viewers through the story are shots from a documentary about a major incident that set a local high school and several streets of the fictional town of Chamberlain on fire, killing hundreds of students and residents. Carrie seems to be the focus of the documentary as several survivors try to recall details about the incident and the main character, who is described differently by each speaker, from angel and hero to monster and bully. 

The documentary drives spectators to the beginning of the story, when the secluded Carrie White (played by Summer H. Howell) and her extremely conservative mother Margaret White (Samantha Sloyan) are forced into the outer world after her father dies in a construction accident, forcing Carrie to attend the local high school and Margaret to get a job as a supermarket cashier. 

While Carrie appears excited and somewhat relieved to be experiencing the world for the first time, her naiveness and lack of experience added to her conservative appearance lead her to be perceived as an odd teenager, who faces bullying by most, and especially some, colleagues, including the ultimate horror mean girl Chris (played by Alison Thornton). 

Although to the viewer, it is clear that Carrie is a naive girl navigating high school for the first time, she faces episodes that make her look strange in front of the other children, including having a panic attack during a school lockdown drill. 

Later on in the episode, Carrie gets another panic attack after getting her first period in the girls’ locker room, as she has never received any sexual education and doesn’t understand what is happening to her body. However, led by Chris, the other teenagers in the locker room film her and throw tampons at her while shouting “plug it up.” Upon the end of the episode, it is hinted to the viewer that this incident will continue to haunt Carrie’s high school experience. 

Although in most versions of Carrie, Chris is often presented as a heartless bully with inexcusable actions, Flanagan keeps the character’s mean girl energy alive, while diving into what is behind her cruelty. While Chris remains a bully, the first two episodes of the series show her personal struggles at home, including inattentive parents, financial concerns and a mother who seems to have abandoned her for a new family. 

In an era where the importance of mental health and therapy are often discussed, I found this particular take on Chris a thoughtful touch that helps bring a more humane vision to this character. As a sucker for well-constructed characters, I also appreciated learning more about Chris and what drives her actions, rather than having her be just another naturally cruel name. 

Another one of the show’s most complex characters presented in the first episode of the series is Margaret. While in some versions of the film, this character seems deeply abusive and disturbed, Flanagan’s version was also able to give this character more nuance. While she still seems to have extremely conservative and religious views (which appear to be fed by far-right propaganda), she still seems to be protective of Carrie, demonstrating she truly loves her daughter. 

On the other hand, Margaret’s protectiveness leads to her constantly embarrassing Carrie, shielding her from crucial information about the world, and even marching into her school several times to question staff about their teaching methods, including the lockdown simulation. 

Other notable characters that add to the drama are Sue (played by Siena Agudong), who appears to be Carrie’s only high school colleague to cut her some slack and offer her friendship, and Miss Desjardin (played by Amber Midthunder) and Mr. Brigham (played by Tim Bagley), who tries to protect Carrie from her bullies and prevent her from giving up on school. 

Episode 2

While the focus of the first episode seemed to dive into the Chamberlain universe and its deep 

characters, the second episode dives more heavily into the bullying suffered by Carrie, and the mysteries that appear to guide the rest of the series. 

In this episode, viewers find out that Carrie might not be the only one in this universe with telekinetic powers. Spectators first learn about a woman that held an entire car up to save her son in 1982. While the incident was first reported as “hysterical strength,” the story leads spectators to believe that it wasn’t a coincidence, and that the incident led said woman to “unlock” some unknown ability. 

Later on, another girl seems to be “connected” to Carrie, while a woman whose face is yet to be revealed appears to look for her. 

As Carrie starts to live new experiences in school, she also starts asking questions at home and questioning her mother’s orders. She also attempts to hide the tampons from her mother, who later finds out, and punishes her by making her pray while kneeling on a wooden board. 

But it’s not all bad for Carrie, as she receives support from Mr. Brigham, who learns about Carrie’s love for books, and shows her the school library in what is one of the most heartfelt scenes of the first two episodes. 

Meanwhile, Chris creates a fake Instagram account named “Carrie Red,” where she uploads Carrie’s locker room video. While the account remains private, the full series trailer reveals this won’t be the end of it, with more cruel revelations and videos about not only Carrie, but also other high school students to be featured in the page. 

By the end of the second episode, Flanagan makes it clear that although Carrie is a well-known classic, viewers shouldn’t be so sure they know how this story ends. As hinted throughout the episode, Carrie is not the only one with powers in this series, which becomes even clearer as Sue reveals in a documentary clip that the inevitable fire incident at the high school was not only Carrie’s doing. 

As a reader who often believes that the book’s narrative is usually king when it comes to book adaptations, I have to admit that it was refreshing to have something new to look up to in this version of Carrie. This extra twist definitely makes me look forward to finishing this series, leaving that feeling that I still don’t know all there is to know about this character. 

It is clear that this is not your classic book adaptation. As explained by Flanagan himself during the Q&A period, the objective was not to create a 100 per cent faithful, play-by-play version of the novel, but rather to take its essence and make it into something new. Judging by the first two episodes, that’s exactly what viewers will get.

On the other hand, hardcore horror viewers expecting to sleep with their lights on after watching this series might find that it stands on the lighter side. Except for a few jumpscare moments here and there, I found that this to be one of the lightest versions of the novel yet. The first two episodes did include several hard-hitting and complex topics like extreme conservatism and bullying, but those were accompanied by several comedic relief moments, modern songs, and light-hearted characters. So, if you’re expected to get the chills, this might not be the one for it. 

All in all, I left the theatre hungry for more, and definitely looking forward to its full release, which is expected to premiere on Prime Video on Oct. 7, which is just in time for Halloween.