Monday, October 21, 2013

10 Days of Stephen King: Carrie (2013)

With 10 days left until the best holiday of the year we've decided to review 10 horror films based on the works of the master himself H.P. Love...wait, no, I mean Stephen King, of course. We're starting with Carrie and ending on The Shining. So, is this cyber age remake worth checking out? Read on to find out.


Being a huge horror fan, I always go into these movies with a mixture of excitement and hesitation, especially when it's a remake of a movie that I love.  Sometimes I walk out disappointed, but this was not one of those times.  In fact, the last few months have been ripe with horror movies that I've enjoyed, including The Conjuring, Insidious: Chapter 2, and You're Next.  But in a month that is usually packed with horror, October has only seen one...Carrie.


Based on Stephen King's acclaimed first-published novel, and a remake of the classic 1976 movie of the same name, Carrie takes the same story of a young girl, bullied and tormented in school, who, after discovering she has telekinetic powers, has finally had enough and unleashes hell at prom.  Director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don't Cry), however, takes this opportunity to modernize it for the current movie-going audience.  

Peirce's version steers a little closer to the book in many aspects, while still honoring the original film and adding her own flare to it.  A new opening scene is shown, but don't worry fans of the original, you still get your shower scene.  There's a nice balance between what's from the book, what's from the original movie, and what's from both, including more post-prom carnage than De Palma gave us. 

Starring as the title character of Carrie White is ChloĆ« Grace Moretz, most famously known for her role as Hit-Girl from the Kick-Ass series.  At the young age of 16, she has already been in over two dozen films and several TV series' with many more projects on the horizon.  Starring opposite her as Carrie's fanatically religious and abusive mother, Margaret White, is 4-time Academy Award nominee, Julianne Moore.  The depth she brings to this character is amazing.  I was almost as afraid of her as much as I was Carrie.  Their on-screen chemistry was palpable.  However, some of the characters left me a little wanting, such as Billy and Freddy.  Whether it was because of the acting (Billy) or because of the lack of story given to them (Freddy), I would have preferred something better done with these characters.

Overall, I believe that this remake has honored the original film in such a way that I can begin to move on from the lackluster 1999 sequel and the mess that was the 2002 made-for-TV version.  Fans of the original should enjoy this as well as newcomers to the story.  Hopefully this will prompt younger viewers to go back and watch the original, allowing themselves to have a well-rounded Carrie experience.

7.5/10

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